John Axtell, a retired wildlife biologist, spends his free time setting up trail cameras in the mountains of Nevada. While combing through pictures over the summer, he came across something he’d never seen before: a stunning mountain lion seeming to pose for the camera.
“I have been doing this for six years and have 28 cameras,” Axtell told The Dodo. “This is the only one that sat down.”
John Axtell
The photos, captured at night, show a tan mountain lion resting her chin on some grass. The cat’s big, brown eyes stare directly into the lens, as though she meant to pose for some glamour shots.
In Axtell’s experience, animals usually ignore the cameras. Motion sensors trigger the shutters and external flashes make nighttime photography possible, so sometimes a coyote or bear will see the flash and sniff the lens.
This curious mountain lion, however, decided to lay down and bask in her moment.
John Axtell
“That was kind of surprising,” Axtell said. “The water source is right there. I don’t know why she was staring at [the camera] so long.”
Water sources are ideal spots for trail cams, especially in the Pine Nut Mountains, where these pictures were taken. The mountain lion, whose territory could be as large as 175 square miles, probably needed a cool drink.
John Axtell
It’s possible this isn’t the first time Axtell captured images of this particular big cat. “I have three cameras in this area,” he said. “[I] usually get a mountain lion about every four weeks or so.”
Axtell enjoys seeing the same wild animals over time. A certain bear may show up regularly on his film, then disappear for a few months before popping in again. He’s photographed everything from mama bears with their cubs to bats mid-flight.
Being able to observe nature in these fleeting moments is a gift — especially species like mountain lions that are protected by state conservation groups.
John Axtell
“Often [animals] just walk by,” Axtell said. “This is the only one that posed.”
