Experts are raising concerns after a couple of bikers had a frightening run-in with a mountain lion Sunday while trekking on an Orange County trail in California.
The video shared by ABC-owned station KABC-TV captured a mountain lion stalking the pair behind some bushes at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park as they attempted to carefully walk away, maintaining a close eye on the animal and using their bikes as protective barriers.
The large feline then emerged from the bushes, trotting towards the pair, who were yelling at it to go away, until it charged at them; however, it ultimately ran off the trail.
Mountain lions, also known as cougars.
National Park Service via Associated Press
“It is concerning because that’s what you don’t want,” Mark Girardeau, a community scientist and wildlife photographer, told the outlet.
“Typically, mountain lions don’t want anything to do with humans,” Girardeau said, adding that the bikers did exactly what anyone is supposed to.
According to the scientist, the mountain lion is a young juvenile, as evidenced by its still-visible spots, which suggests it had recently left its mother.
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“Maybe it’s just curious and trying to figure out what these humans are,” Girardeau continued.
Cort Klopping, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson, told the Los Angeles Times, “This is super out-of-the-ordinary behavior.”
The park has been closed until further notice due to the mountain lion activity. Danielle Kennedy, public information officer with Orange County Parks, told the LA Times that researchers plan to place cameras around the park to track the animal’s activity and investigate the unusual behavior.