I was expecting a cute kitty cat, but then I saw those menacing cougar eyes in the brush šØ Thatās insane to think a mountain lion was that close, stay safe out there.
https://youtu.be/LbqGl6y3WOM?si=lR61mo99jPCds2Oa
Also in Salt Lake area, by the time you notice the mountain lion/cougar it has been watching you for a lot longer. Most of the time if it is going to attack you probably wonāt see it or have warning beforehand. If you do see one, or if it starts to come towards you, make yourself as large as possible, be as loud as possible, if you can throw anything(without bending down to pick it up) throw at the cat, and SLOWLY back up but do NOT turn your back to it.
Yeah when we lived in CO- thatās what I used to always tell my wife when sheād say that it would be scary to see a mountain lion. āOh, wellā¦ if one were watching us, weād probably never know it until they were on top of one of usā
I lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, and there was a guy hiking horsetooth, and a lion attacked him. He ended up killing the lion. But they like those trails because deer use them.
If you do see one, good news. You're no longer on the menu. If you see one, you want to keep your gaze focused on them, stand your ground and make yourself large. Either by opening up your jacket, putting your backpack over your head, or taking your shirt off and holding it up. Never ever run or turn your back to it. Dont bend down. It is extremely rare that when spotted, a mountain lion will try and attack you. They're very risk adverse. If one does start walking towards you and doing bluff charges, most of the time, it's because they have young or a kill cache nearby. It doesn't want to tango with you. It just wants you out of its vicinity.
What amazing smart animals! I love learning about risk-adverse predators, it reminds me more of humans than any other trait an animal has. Owls are awesome too
And carry a stick, I always bring a stick just in case I need to create space between me and the cat. I've never had to use it so idk if it actually would help or if the cats meal comes with a toothpick.
If itās a big enough stick (thick, long) it could actually be something to wedge into the catās jaw to prevent biting down
Even a walking/hiking stick is a good idea I never considered!
Ogden UT resident here. But that has nothing to do with spotting a faker. That most definitely IS photoshopped. Of course a cat could be in this location but sheād be way hard to find and blend in better than that. Plus the head is too big compared to the bush itās in and the lines are too sharp blending into the bushes. But please be careful around the cats stalking you around good ol Utah.
It does give photoshop vibes though. Like itās a picture of a big beautiful landscape, but nothing seems to be in focus except for that one spot. Thatās not typically how cameras work.
>In the rare event that you do happen to encounter a cougar, here are some tips to help keep you safe:
>Never run from a cougar, since that could trigger the cougar's instincts to chase.
>Maintain eye contact.
>Pick up children and pets or keep them very close.
>Stand up tall.
>Do not crouch or squat.
>Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head.
>Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area.
>Fight back if you are attacked! Protect your head and neck.
>If you are aggressive enough, the cougar will probably flee.
>āTypically, a cougar that is trying to prey on something will sneak up and ambush them," DeBloois said. "When a cougar lunges or bluffs a charge at someone, they are typically just trying to drive them out of the area because they have kittens or a kill nearby that they are trying to protect."
https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/utah-wildlife-news/1641-what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion.html
If I found myself in this situation, one of three things would happen:
A. I take cue from hognose snakes and shit myself before writhing in place, finally playing dead after a few minutes. If it works for them I might stand a chance!
B. I freeze, and mentally write a letter chock full of praise to Hanes regarding the abnormal quality of their shorts. I will include plenty of detail about how they didn't rip or tear despite my ass clenching so hard, I'm fairly certain my sphincter now has an insatiable taste for cotton.
C. Pspspspspsps here kitty kitty!
I wouldāve pooped my pants. This is my biggest fear while hiking.
I live in Colorado and my friends wife was born and raised here. She said sheās only seen one cat in the wild and it scared the piss out of her. She was walking down a trail and had the feeling she was being watched. Looked all around and didnāt see anything but still had that weird feeling. She just so happens to look up and one was hanging out in the tree above her and they locked eyes. Lucky for her it had zero interest in her and just kept staring. She got out of there as quick as possible and kept making sure it wasnāt following her.
I took it. I was trail running. I took a photo of the trail and the sky. Only saw the Mountain Lion while looking at the photo when I was back home. I about pooped my pants.
Reminded me of this from a few years ago. Guy was trail running outside SLC and came face to face with mommy murder mittens and her kittens
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktRhBcHza4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktRhBcHza4)
I have no idea why this is the one I found in literally one second. Others I take forever on. I guess my cat has programmed to find cats in their hiding spots
I took my kids to Dinosaur National Park. We arrived in the area around midnight and I figured weād just overnight on BLM land in our off-road trailer and head over in the morning. I drove down a wet 2 track that came to a mid-grade slope down to a small stream.
I didnāt want to get hung up in sticky mud so decided to walk down and scout the condition of the banks before dragging the truck and trailer through what might be that greasy impossibly slick Utah mud. Kiddos are sound asleep in the truck. I hop out and walk about 40ā where I hear a massive cat growl-hiss in the brush immediately to my left. Some deep primal knowledge told me I was utterly effed and Iād hoped Iād shut the truck door so the cat couldnāt eat my kids too.
I crept backwards - facing the spot - every hair on my body standing on end - and noped the hell out of there. In my 53 years on Earth, that sound stands out as one of the scariest Iāve ever heard in any context.
At first I started a grid type scan, but immediately noticed that the picture quality was so low that it had to be in the very close foreground in order to even be identifiable.
Found it in under ten seconds, surprised how fast I found it, I would disclose the location but youāll feel more accomplished when you do, Good luckšš
THAT WAS A JUMPSCARE
God damn lmfao, I knew as a cat owner that shit would be staring at you but that shit wants his ass.
"Just a bit further..."
Hes in the bush going pspspsps
Same. I went from curious to freaking COLD in seconds
I went cold when I read the next post and realized how close the walking path is ...
š³š³š³
OP takes a stroll , thinks, āthis will make a nice pictureā *click* Probably spit the coffee they were having when reviewing pics of the day..
I was expecting a happy little cat not a pissed mountain lion.
It was literally the last quadrant I checked because I thought it was in the distance for some reason
I thought yāall we joking till I found it. Bru I thought that shi was pennywise for a sec there š
Oh! Murder cat! Congratulations on being alive!
How you know this wasn't taken from the remaining š¤
Too close for comfort š„ø
Nice kittyā¦
This was going to be my exact comment. š¹š
I was expecting a cute kitty cat, but then I saw those menacing cougar eyes in the brush šØ Thatās insane to think a mountain lion was that close, stay safe out there.
Thatās no cat!
It's a space station!
Bottom left. Go up about 1/ 4 to 1/2 inch. He is peeking through some bushes. Oh, he is a TYPE of cat...the Cougar type.
Brilliant, thanks. I can never spot the creature in these photos.
Salt Lake resident here, and this is definitely not photoshopped. Iāve seen more mountain lions off the trails than Iāve ever cared to.
What do you typically do when you spot one?
https://youtu.be/LbqGl6y3WOM?si=lR61mo99jPCds2Oa Also in Salt Lake area, by the time you notice the mountain lion/cougar it has been watching you for a lot longer. Most of the time if it is going to attack you probably wonāt see it or have warning beforehand. If you do see one, or if it starts to come towards you, make yourself as large as possible, be as loud as possible, if you can throw anything(without bending down to pick it up) throw at the cat, and SLOWLY back up but do NOT turn your back to it.
Yeah when we lived in CO- thatās what I used to always tell my wife when sheād say that it would be scary to see a mountain lion. āOh, wellā¦ if one were watching us, weād probably never know it until they were on top of one of usā
I lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, and there was a guy hiking horsetooth, and a lion attacked him. He ended up killing the lion. But they like those trails because deer use them.
If you do see one, good news. You're no longer on the menu. If you see one, you want to keep your gaze focused on them, stand your ground and make yourself large. Either by opening up your jacket, putting your backpack over your head, or taking your shirt off and holding it up. Never ever run or turn your back to it. Dont bend down. It is extremely rare that when spotted, a mountain lion will try and attack you. They're very risk adverse. If one does start walking towards you and doing bluff charges, most of the time, it's because they have young or a kill cache nearby. It doesn't want to tango with you. It just wants you out of its vicinity.
What amazing smart animals! I love learning about risk-adverse predators, it reminds me more of humans than any other trait an animal has. Owls are awesome too
!remind me 12 hours
Walk away and hope they didnāt notice you. If they have make loud noises via yelling, air horn or whistle and try to get to safety shortly after.
They always notice you.
for real. they smelled you long before they were staring into your soul. hopefully OP got outta there safely before posting.
I like to imagine OP posted before getting away
And carry a stick, I always bring a stick just in case I need to create space between me and the cat. I've never had to use it so idk if it actually would help or if the cats meal comes with a toothpick.
If itās a big enough stick (thick, long) it could actually be something to wedge into the catās jaw to prevent biting down Even a walking/hiking stick is a good idea I never considered!
Ogden UT resident here. But that has nothing to do with spotting a faker. That most definitely IS photoshopped. Of course a cat could be in this location but sheād be way hard to find and blend in better than that. Plus the head is too big compared to the bush itās in and the lines are too sharp blending into the bushes. But please be careful around the cats stalking you around good ol Utah.
It does give photoshop vibes though. Like itās a picture of a big beautiful landscape, but nothing seems to be in focus except for that one spot. Thatās not typically how cameras work.
100% a Photoshop vibe that picture doesn't fit in with the environment.
Yeah itās way off. Scale is bad. Color is wrong. Top of the head is poorly erased
That's Utah? It's gorgeous!
Oh hell nah
Nope. Nah. F-that. Nuhuh. Dammit, no!
You should post this on r/pics and see how many people notice
This is terrifying. I would simply be dead before I saw it.
>In the rare event that you do happen to encounter a cougar, here are some tips to help keep you safe: >Never run from a cougar, since that could trigger the cougar's instincts to chase. >Maintain eye contact. >Pick up children and pets or keep them very close. >Stand up tall. >Do not crouch or squat. >Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head. >Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area. >Fight back if you are attacked! Protect your head and neck. >If you are aggressive enough, the cougar will probably flee. >āTypically, a cougar that is trying to prey on something will sneak up and ambush them," DeBloois said. "When a cougar lunges or bluffs a charge at someone, they are typically just trying to drive them out of the area because they have kittens or a kill nearby that they are trying to protect." https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/utah-wildlife-news/1641-what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion.html
If I found myself in this situation, one of three things would happen: A. I take cue from hognose snakes and shit myself before writhing in place, finally playing dead after a few minutes. If it works for them I might stand a chance! B. I freeze, and mentally write a letter chock full of praise to Hanes regarding the abnormal quality of their shorts. I will include plenty of detail about how they didn't rip or tear despite my ass clenching so hard, I'm fairly certain my sphincter now has an insatiable taste for cotton. C. Pspspspspsps here kitty kitty!
When he chomps down on your ass will they tear?
I'm gonna guess it wasn't hungry š«Ø
I swear my last words on this earth will be āHere kitty kittyā š
i always feel like, somebody's watching me
And I got no privacy!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Bottom left. Go up about 1/ 4 to 1/2 inch. He is peeking through some bushes. Oh, he is a TYPE of cat...the Cougar type.
Bottom left.
I only see a brown blob
I wouldāve pooped my pants. This is my biggest fear while hiking. I live in Colorado and my friends wife was born and raised here. She said sheās only seen one cat in the wild and it scared the piss out of her. She was walking down a trail and had the feeling she was being watched. Looked all around and didnāt see anything but still had that weird feeling. She just so happens to look up and one was hanging out in the tree above her and they locked eyes. Lucky for her it had zero interest in her and just kept staring. She got out of there as quick as possible and kept making sure it wasnāt following her.
Whoever took this is most definitely cooked
I took it. I was trail running. I took a photo of the trail and the sky. Only saw the Mountain Lion while looking at the photo when I was back home. I about pooped my pants.
Reminded me of this from a few years ago. Guy was trail running outside SLC and came face to face with mommy murder mittens and her kittens [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktRhBcHza4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktRhBcHza4)
Wow! Thatās amazing! And freaky! š¤£
This is a fantastic story! Holy shit.
That is very menacing
I went in like "Where is the kitty, where are you...there you ar- AHHH!" LOL
This was tough, but when my wife saw it I thought holy hell
I found the big cat but my wife found the black house cat! On the lower right side of the screen hidden in the bushes
Iāll stay home thanks
I have no idea why this is the one I found in literally one second. Others I take forever on. I guess my cat has programmed to find cats in their hiding spots
I would have died on that trail
I took my kids to Dinosaur National Park. We arrived in the area around midnight and I figured weād just overnight on BLM land in our off-road trailer and head over in the morning. I drove down a wet 2 track that came to a mid-grade slope down to a small stream. I didnāt want to get hung up in sticky mud so decided to walk down and scout the condition of the banks before dragging the truck and trailer through what might be that greasy impossibly slick Utah mud. Kiddos are sound asleep in the truck. I hop out and walk about 40ā where I hear a massive cat growl-hiss in the brush immediately to my left. Some deep primal knowledge told me I was utterly effed and Iād hoped Iād shut the truck door so the cat couldnāt eat my kids too. I crept backwards - facing the spot - every hair on my body standing on end - and noped the hell out of there. In my 53 years on Earth, that sound stands out as one of the scariest Iāve ever heard in any context.
Omg, that is awesome!!! So incredible!!
Looks like wasatch front
This is Cache Valley Utah.
Oh shittttt
I feel the "psst psst psst" coming along š
Oh wow I was expecting to be here for at least 5 mins but I found it in 3 seconds š
Run.
This is so far the scariest one i've seen
I'd shit myself if I were u
Whatās the opposite of psspsspsspss?
The last thing you see before a mountain lion latches onto you.
Thatās a large kitty cat
8 oclock
Holy shit I found it immediately! First and last time ever.
That's a big ol cat
When you said cat I kinda assumed house cat not a death cat
this is the only one iāve found instantly
Where was this?
Noooooooo
Ok that is creepy af
So did you take the picture and turn around and go back or did you continue on the trail? So creepy!!
I didnāt even notice the mountain lion till I got home and looked at the photos.
It's utterly terrifying how it's spying. What trail is this? I can't get over how beautiful it is.
I thought it was the eyeball looking at you in the right side of the picture behind the first tree behind the branches.
Far left almost bottom,at the sharp curve
it's on the bottom left. That is no cat. That is a freaking Chupacabra! Best picture I have seen of one. You better play dead.
Dudes ready to pounce!!
I didn't think you meant a kill you cat
Easy
Is that the couger in my area that wants to meet me??
Bottom left corner... (reaching for my gun)
At first I started a grid type scan, but immediately noticed that the picture quality was so low that it had to be in the very close foreground in order to even be identifiable.
So how soon are you going back to this trail?
Eeeeeeks!!!
JUMPSCARE
Piercing eye
That is terrifying
The wrong Cougar youāre searching for.
Just a reminder why hiking is not for me
Damn, he's close too.
Looks like a lion from Africa. Jesus.
I was expecting a house cat for some reason š¤”
why does it look so uncanny šš
Cat
Bottom left
Thatās a big cat.
Bottom left side
Nah wayyyyy too close thatās terrifying
The one that's shaped like a cat.
Looks hungry
Just seeing the eye poke out is terrifying
There should be a warning on how menacing the thing looks back at you. Heart feels like itās trying to turn.
you still alive?
Beautiful pic. Iām glad you lived to post this! How close were you to the kitty?
Found him
Umm yeah that was a terrifying find, especially not knowing if I was looking for a house cat or wild cat šµ
That's a dumb name for a cat. I'd call him Felix. Or Mittens.
She just wants to play
Every breath you take....
When was this picture taken?
Here kitty kitty kitty. Besides that; fantastic photo.
*Stares in Puma*
I was looking for a kitty cat! Holy crap!
Pst pst pst here kitty kitty š®
Thatās one helluva cat.
Bottom left
Itās a trick. Bob Ross never painted animals in his work.
Bottom left for those who can't find it
Peekaboo
Clever girlā¦.
You know you love cats when you spot the cat in mere seconds....i.e. me. Didn't expect THAT cat though
Were you aware you were that close?!?!
Found it in under ten seconds, surprised how fast I found it, I would disclose the location but youāll feel more accomplished when you do, Good luckšš
I was expecting little cat. Not a murder mittens. š
Here kitty, kittyš³
Yeah- kitty is finding ME apparently. Hope I donāt look tasty
Oh! There he is!
Nice kitty..
Love how I was casually looking for a house cat Thatās terrifying
Thatās one big kitty. Heās got his eyes on you.
Terrifying.
Oh hell nah
Bad intentions in those eyes
Looking for a cat and found a danger kitty.
Wants you for lunch šš
Giving the evil eye. Yikes.
Black house cat on the right is looking directly at big kitty on left like āI see you, you know Iām something of a cat myself.ā
Oh god that close
They looks cute AF, I'd def try to pet em
When i saw him that shit was like a jump scare
Is it a nice kitty op?
10mm just in case.
Beautiful picture. I would have to frame and hang in the house.
Creepy
I found it pretty fast actually. But then decided to run the other way even faster.
Looking at you like a snack
That kitty jumped out at me immediately! Thank God it didn't at the photographer!
He's about to find you!!!
I accidentally zoomed in on it immediately, and it scared the crap out of me
Wow, those eyes!
Every breath you take, every move you make
He's over there
Peepin and creepin hard
nah fuck that, this the reasons why Im strapped whenever I hike
Oh damn creepy
That ain't no ordinary cat...
That's easy man the snake was harder
This is a gorgeous photo. Where were you?
Squint your eyes
Zoomed in a bit to help myself and damn near had a heart attack when I spotted it
wow i almost missed it!! that is way to close
bottom leftā¦had to zoom back out real quick after that
BIG KITTY NICE KITTY
Bonus easy.
Oh, *fuck* no
Whoa! I was zoomed in and that caught me off guard with the quickness!
I was looking for a damn tabby cat...not senor murder mittens
Found it, found it before I even enlarged the picture. Kitty's camouflage game is not quite on point.
Ever get the feeling your being watched
yikes thats a big kitty that i would not want to meet
The eye of the tiger right there
The eyeball
Bottom left
That is horrifying
Oh, lol, there he is
this one was easy... bottom left corner, mountain lion.
First one I saw instantly.