Mountain lions are rare in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and there’s been a buzz in the National Elk Refuge recently where one has been spotted prowling around.
But even when it’s known that a mountain lion is in the area, they are still incredibly difficult to spot thanks to their elusive nature. This was demonstrated by Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures guide Billy Fabian this week when he captured footage of a cougar skulking around a rocky outcrop in Wyoming’s Teton County.
While Fabian’s video isn’t as hard as previous ‘Can You Spot the Big Cat’ challenges we’ve run on PetaPixel before, it still demonstrates the apex predator’s cunning nature.
As USA Today’s For The Win reports, mountain lions blend into their surroundings and are cautious about how they move. Fabian’s video perfectly demonstrates this as the cat looks out from its hiding place with an untrusting and skeptical gaze.
Fabian was guiding a group at the time of capture and used a Swarovski Optik ATX 95mm spotting scope with his smartphone attached to it via an Ollin Nature Snapshot adapter system.
Mountain lions are solitary hunters that prey mostly on elk and mule deer in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but they will eat smaller mammals, too.
“They prefer rocky terrain and forested areas that provide cover from competing predators such as wolves and bears,” USA Today writes. “Mountain lions cache their kills, which attract other predators.”
If you somehow haven’t spotted the mountain lion, which is slightly compromised by its gray beard, it’s in the dead center of the image. If you would like some more difficult brain teasers, check out this fiendishly difficult one from 2023, showing an elk being stalked in the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
It’s not just mountain lions, their big cat relatives can also disappear in plain sight: including snow leopards and leopards.
Check out Fabian’s adventures in the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem on Instagram and YouTube.
Image credits: Photographs by Billy Fabian
