For those of you back home who haven't been to our house, we live on Cougar Mountain, in the Foothills of the North Cascade Mountains in Washington, on the eastside of SeattleSo, no big deal, Lucy and I (Walt) were just out in the backyard tonight and we see a cat, a BIG cat, and we decide to investigate. Off it goes and all Lucy can say is "Lion, Lion, Lion", just like in the books we read at night. This is interesting considering last night a cougar walked through our backyard looking for humans to eat. After stumbling over the camera lens and making sure Lucy didn't have A1 steak sauce on her body, I snapped the pic below. I assumed this was the same cougar we saw tonight. So, I know what you are thinking "you probably saw a kitty cat and were mistaken". Not likely. So I was researching about them and came across the basics(from Washington State Dept of Fish and Wildlife):
Also known as mountain lions or pumas, cougars are known for their strength, agility, and awesome ability to jump. Sleek and graceful, cougars are solitary and secretive animals rarely seen in the wild. Their exceptionally powerful legs enable them to leap 30 feet from a standstill, or to jump 15 feet straight up a cliff wall. Cougars use their paws and claws to trip prey (i.e. a swat to the rear legs) or grab it with their claws, then use their claws to hold their prey while delivering the kill-bite.
A cougar’s strength and powerful jaws allow it to take down and drag prey larger than itself. Cougars eat elk, deer, moose, goats, sheep, coyotes, and rabbits.
Cougars are the largest members of the cat family in North America. Adult males average approximately 140 pounds but in a perfect situation may weigh 180 pounds and measure 7-8 feet long from nose to tip of tail. Adult males stand about 30 inches tall at the shoulder. A large male cougar living in the Cascade Mountains kills a deer or elk every 9 to 12 days, eating up to 20 pounds at a time and burying the rest for later.
Cougars are the largest members of the cat family in North America. Adult males average approximately 140 pounds but in a perfect situation may weigh 180 pounds and measure 7-8 feet long from nose to tip of tail. Adult males stand about 30 inches tall at the shoulder. A large male cougar living in the Cascade Mountains kills a deer or elk every 9 to 12 days, eating up to 20 pounds at a time and burying the rest for later.
So, wish us well and see below for the backyard Pic:
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