Instead of running, the experienced photographer stated they maintained their ground and created a big ruckus. After unexpectedly witnessing a mountain lion on a California route, a wildlife photographer’s recent hiking excursion turned into a terrifying experience! The scene was recorded on camera, and now everyone is talking about it on the internet.
Mark Girardeau and his companion Rachel de Vlugt were hiking in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County when they came across the wildcat peering through a bush at them. They had just set up a couple tracking cameras to catch animals when they spotted the mountain lion go up a hill and stop to watch them from around 20 feet away, Girardeau told FTW Outdoors.
He understood it was better not to run, according to the seasoned photographer. They stayed firm and screamed their displeasure. He could be heard constantly yelling at the animal to go back in the footage he posted to his social media accounts.
The mountain lion followed them for a little time before walking away, as captured on camera, according to the couple.
“Thank goodness Mark was there, because I’m sure I would have bolted” (which is obviously the worst thing you can do). “For what seemed like an eternity, we maintained our ground, and the lion did as well,” de Vlugt posted on Instagram, sharing the footage.
“I suppose there are two things that may have caused this: either she had a kill nearby and was guarding it or she raced up at us not realising we were people since she couldn’t see us entirely from down below,” Girardeau wrote on Instagram. We spotted deer in the neighbourhood, so she most likely believed it was one of them.”
In a subsequent update, Girardeau, who has been following animals in the Orange County woods, said he recognised the mountain lion in the now-viral video. A female mountain lion with an injured eye, was recognised by him as the animal.
