One of our volunteers at Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary has set up a camera trap in the cienega. This beautiful mountain lion passed by this week and triggered a selfie.
Photo by Stan Cunningham, former research biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and retired professor at Arizona State University.
Paine Searching for His Sister by David & Shiela Glatz
Via Flickr:
Young male Puma (aka Mountain Lion aka Cougar aka Panther aka Catamount) (Puma concolor) named Paine (“blue” in the local indigenous Patagonian language) walks along a ridge searching for his sister.
Description: Mountain lion skull garlanded with staghorn sumac and wild blackberry (favourite foods of their prey, white tailed deer).
Inspired by a study on how the North American mountain lion strategically composts the remains of its meals to encourage healthy plant growth which attracts deer, their main prey in Ontario. The study found the soil in the composting areas of mountain lions had 30% more nitrogen than the surrounding forest.
I was able to reunite with Nina, born at Nihondaira Zoo. She's grown so much since she was four months old! Encounters like this at a distant zoo I've never been to before bring so much joy. Now, they've started cohabiting with a male for breeding. I hope it goes well!