iStockphoto / georgealmanza / @BoulderCountySheriffsOffice
thermal drone captures nocturnal mountain lions next to a school in Boulder, Colorado
Mountain lions are, in large part, solitary creatures. But for the first 18-24 months of their lives, mountain lion cubs stick by mom before breaking out on their own and are playful creatures, engaging in all sorts of exploration with their siblings.
During a recent nighttime training exercise, members of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado spotted a group of mountain lions playing next to a middle / high school. They were training with a thermal drone and flying it at night, away from any homes, so as not to disturb the public. But they never expected to spot the three mountain lions with the drone.
Mountain Lions Spotted By Thermal Drone In Boulder, Colorado
On Facebook and Instagram, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office wrote “Deputy Mike Fank’s thermal drone training turned into an unexpected wildlife documentary last night capturing four mountain lions playing near the Nederland Middle/ Senior High School. This was a training flight, done late at night and away from any homes, so we can practice without disturbing residents. Drone training matters. It’s how we prepare for the real missions: wildfire response, search and rescue, locating missing or endangered people, documenting scenes, and assessing dangerous areas from a safe distance. The more skilled our pilots are, the faster and safer we can respond when someone needs help.”
Check it out:
While mountains, or cougars / pumas, whatever you prefer to call them, are not strictly nocturnal they are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the twilight periods of Dusk and Dawn. This behavior is, in large part, tied to their diet with deer being their preferred prey and deer are particularly active at sunrise and sunset when much of the world is still asleep.
Interestingly, there is some evidence that these largely crepuscular creatures become primarily nocturnal in the presence of human beings. When cougars inhabit areas such as this, Boulder, Colorado or Victoria Island on the West Coast, they tend to adopt lifestyles that are primarily nocturnal in order to avoid crossing paths with humans. This is always good to keep in mind whenever hiking or camping in areas where these giant cats might be present, and to remain extra vigilant during Dusk, Dawn, and at night.
Their nocturnal/crepuscular lifestyles, combined with their solitary existences where they meet up with other members of their species primarily for reproduction, has all contributed to their reputation as being the ‘Big Foot’ of the cat world. Nat Geo had a fun clip on that reputation a few years ago I love to watch from time to time:
So ultimately, yes, mountain lions are nocturnal but also crepuscular. They are not strictly one or the other. Furthermore, these pumas are such solitary creatures there doesn’t even exist a collective noun for ‘a group of mountain lions’ outside of just ‘a litter’ which is used to describe any group of cats. Because as we discussed, they break away from mom after 18-24 months and live a solitary existence after that.