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A number of people in California have had an encounter with some particularly bold mountain lions in 2025. Now, we can welcome another member to that club thanks to a camper who was glued to his phone when one of them casually strolled by while coming within a foot of where he was posted up.
At this point, I’ve covered enough stories concerning mountain lions in California to the point where I know the state his home to 4,500 of those animals off the top of my head. That’s a relatively small population in the grand scheme of things, but when you consider it also boasts a population of close to 40 million people, there are inevitably going to be some close encounters every now and then.
Those big cats aren’t overly aggressive, as there have only been six attacks in California that resulted in a fatality in the past 135 years (the most recent occurred in 2024, ending a drought that spanned two decades back to 1994, a year in which two people were killed eight months apart).
With that said, there have been some close calls in recent months, including one that was captured by a camera in a state park.
A mountain lion casually strolled right next to an unsuspecting camper who got quite the surprise at Leo Carrillo State Park in California
A man outside of Los Angeles had an unexpected encounter with a mountain lion that decided to walk through the front door of his mother’s house earlier this month, but it probably goes without saying you’re much more likely to come across them when you’re taking advantage of California’s scenery.
According to KTLA, a guy identified only as Kevin was doing exactly that when he headed to Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu to do some camping. He decided to bike to a ranger’s station in the hopes of boosting his cell service, and he was looking at his phone when he suddenly turned his attention to the mountain lion that came within inches of where he was standing while walking past him.
Kevin said he quickly headed back to his campsite to alert the other people there of its presence, and he admitted they were skeptical until a ranger provided him with footage of the encounter he was able to use for vindication (which he shared with NBC Los Angeles).
I respect him for remaining as calm as he did, as plenty of people would have needed to change their underwear after ending up in a similar situation.