iStockphoto / Bransen Jackson
A homeowner in Shaver Lake, California was stunned when they looked at their security camera footage to find a group of mountain lions walking across their property. These weren’t a mama and her babies either, they are all quite grown.
The trio of mountain lions appeared to be on on high alert as they pawed their away across his driveway.
Group Of Mountain Lions Caught On Security Camera In Shaver Lake, California
Seeing a single puma is a rarity. They are solitary creatures and ambush predators, with the consensus being that when you do see a mountain lion it is typically because the second largest cat in North America (jaguars are #1) has decided to reveal itself.
Mountain lions are so solitary in fact that there is not an official name for a ‘group of mountain lions’ and the most apropos terms are stolen from other species. So in this instance, we might call it a ‘pride’ or a ‘litter’ while borrowing the phrase that refers to other groups of cats.
The Shaver Lake resident, Mike Giubini, found the footage on his security camera on Wednesday and it was shared by Fresno Sheriff’s Office shortly thereafter to alert residents in the area to keep their heads on a swivel:
While mountain lion sightings of any kind are exceedingly rare, they are more common in California than many other states. Experts believe the state of California currently has a population of approximately 4,500 mountain lions. That’s a lot of pumas but the state’s geography spans approximately 164,000 square miles so they are (1) quite spread out and (2) often inhabit remote areas away from development. Thought that’s not always the case.
It is fascinating though how often times in the state of California these large cats show up on security cameras or Ring doorbells instead of being spotted by humans. Just six months ago, this one walked up to a homeowner’s front door in La Verne:
Stay vigilant out there!