2 bicyclists taking an evening ride came face to face with a mountain lion — their one timely move ensured they survived
Encounters with wild animals can always be a little scary. However, a person's reaction in the situation can turn out to be life-saving. Two bicyclists came across a mountain lion while riding their bikes one evening. They were terrified, but they followed all the right steps to ensure that they got out of the situation unharmed. The unidentified cyclists were at an Orange County trail in Whiting Ranch, in Lake Forest, when they came face to face with the young animal, per ABC 7 Eyewitness.
The young mountain lion was approaching the cyclists on the biking trail. The two of them screamed and made loud noises to chase the lion away. "Go away, kitty," one of them could be heard shouting. The two of them were careful while riding their bikes and were able to spot the lion in the bushes. They immediately took a defensive stance and put their bikes in front of them as a form of protection. The mountain lion still kept walking towards them and looked curious. They didn't look away from the cub for even a moment and kept backing off. It was also really scary because a mountain biker was killed by a cougar in the same region back in 2004. The mountain lion came out of the bushes and kept following the bikers, who continued screaming to scare it away.
"It is concerning because that's what you don't want, because typically mountain lions don't want anything to do with humans," Mark Girardeau, a community scientist and wildlife photographer, explained. Mark was able to point out that the mountain lion was pretty young, as it still had spots. He felt that the bikers followed the exact steps they were supposed to follow in that situation. "I am assuming, as it is such a young lion, because it still had spots, probably recently left mom, it is probably just not sure what to do." He added, "Maybe it is just curious and trying to figure out what these humans are." The mountain lion followed the bikers for quite some time before it went the other way.
The animal also looked ready to charge at one point, but the bikers held their stance and kept screaming to ensure that it changed course instead of pouncing at them. The forest rangers were made aware of the sighting and were looking into the matter. The two of them didn't suffer any injuries and encouraged other people to be alert and careful if they went out on any trail. People shared their thoughts and similar experiences in the comments section of the YouTube video.
@dattatreya14 wrote, "I like that she called it 'kitty' even though it was about to kill her. 10/10 would have done the same." @urNEMESISSS commented, "Whatever you do, don't try to ride your bike away in that situation, as it will trigger them to chase." @ljboutabag4884 remarked, "A ranger once told me a curious mountain lion means it's deciding whether it should kill you or not, your life is now in danger." @GeorgeLinares4 shared, "I have never run into a mountain lion, but I have run into packs of coyotes. Be safe, people and never go on outdoor activities alone."