Cougar surprises woman in hot tub

[havocmom]

Maybe Big Kitty thought it was a big ol pot of people soup bubbling away.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_CLOSE_COUGAR?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=STRANGE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

DEADWOOD, S.D. (AP) -- A relaxing soak in a hot tub came to an abrupt end when Marlene Todd came eye to eye with a mountain lion in her backyard.

"I was kind of hidden, sitting with my back up against the side of the tub, and I heard a little rustling sound in the needles right beside me," she said.

Todd said she thought it might have been her house cat until she saw "this big, tan, hairy body" just 4 inches away.

"I didn't realize what it was until it took a leap and jumped up on the side of my hot tub," Todd said.

People keep encroaching further into habitat. Wildlife seems to have decided to adapt and make the most of it. Mmmmm, tasty house pets too. My sister sees a mountain lion sashay by her home and head across the street into a higher density housing development. Sometimes, the big cat comes out with a mouthful of someone's dog or cat. Several calls to Fish & Game, but so far, the lion has remained free. They seem to be better at observing and learning our habits than we are about theirs.

Have to admit, even with many close wildlife encounters, a lion at a hot tub would mean I would have to change the water.

[XemaSab]

1. Lions scare the crap out of me

I would totally have to change the water. :scared:

[Madrone]

2. Running into a mt. lion is one of my fears.

I hike a lot where I live, and they are close by. I'm far more afraid of encountering one of them than a bear. I usually have my dog with me too, which rather than a DETERRENT is more like big kitty BAIT.

One of the reasons I got my concealed carry - although I've yet to go out armed.

[havocmom]

3. Hiking from old ghost town to the cemetery on other side of peak

(pretty high location in MT), I started singing LOUDLY. My brother, a fairly smart chap figured out why and joined in. My sis and nephew, gasping for air at 9500+ feet (sea level homes) wanted to know what all the noise was about.

Not wanting to alarm her to the nature she was so oblivious to, our bro said something about it being so beautiful, so good to be with family in such an extraordinary place... well, it does just make ya feel like singing!

The old cemetery is on the east side of the peak, facing the early sun. Morning was chilly and damp. As we rounded the curve in the old path, we caught a glimpse of a tawny form leaping over the dilapidated fence and bound into the dark woods. Figured we had startled a big deer, we went about our tour of the old graves. We came upon the tracks in the mud... lion. BIG lion.

Sister figured out the singing was not about the joy of the morning's company :rofl:

Have had dogs alert me, several times, that we were redirecting the hike route when I lived in Tucson.

Bobcats on the patio are one thing. Lions as hiking companions are all together different.

Like you, I fear them even more than bears. The bears are faster than most think, but one can ofter hear them. The lion is pretty damned quiet!

[Madrone]

5. Other than my dog running ahead, freaking out a bear and leading it BACK to me -

Bears aren't so bad. They'll usually hear/smell you coming and get away. Cats on the other hand .... they're sneaky. They'll stalk you from behind and you don't know they're around until you feel it land on your back. :scared:

[XemaSab]

7. Or not.

They generally kill with a paralyzing bite to the neck.

You might not even know what hit you. :scared:

[XemaSab]

6. Bears don't really want to attack you unless they are defending cubs

Mountain lions WANT to eat you, and in a fight between a person and a mountain lion... bet on the lion.

[livetohike]

4. Me too.

:scared: I've done a lot of hiking in S. California in the years we lived there (13) and I was always wary of them. I'm sure they saw us, but I never saw one.

[gmoney]

8. Good God!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uTVEW1nz8gc

[Maestro]

10. Oh those were the days!

Thanks for posting that one!

[Swede]

9. Youwza.

There are cougars,deer and elk commonly spotted here in town.

[Maestro]

11. Build in their environment and it is to be expected.

I'm glad no one was hurt this time.

[havocmom]

12. Gotta tell ya, Maestro, the big cats LOVE golf resorts in Tucson!

Those bunkers offer some shelter from cold rain in the winter. Big cats can sure surprise the first foursome out after a rainy winter night! I know some grounds keepers who have some photos you would envy!

[Deja Q]

13. So it's not the 'cougar' as in the euphemism, right?

:hide:

[havocmom]

14. Not an old muscle car by Mercury either

Ya never have a bail of catnip handy when ya really need it.

[ironflange]

27. Nothing wrong with a cougar in a hot tub

Though where I stand, that kinda cougar would have to be about 70 years old.

[FloridaJudy]

15. A rousing chorus of

"I'm glad I'm a City girl!" And these days City living is more ecologically correct, too.

[havocmom]

18. Saw plenty of coyotes waiting for breaks in traffic on busy streets in the center of Tucson

There are occasional bear sightings at David Montham AF Base or other locations in town. Young males, run off by their mothers have to find new territory. Where there are 'sky island' habitats in the southwest, that means trekking across desert to get to another mountain. Tucson sits between ranges and bears do wander through.

Mountain lion frequently walks by my sister's house and INTO the dense housing development across her street. That lion goes through about a mile of city now to get to my sister's place.

I used to be accompanied by a family of coyotes on my regular walks in the wee hours, in the center of Tucson.

I actually see LESS wildlife where I live now, a rural and very tiny town in eastern Montana!

You might be surprised what lives close to you in the city! ;)

edited for clarity

[FloridaJudy]

21. You're probably right

But no one living in the heart of this city has been attacked by wild animals (unless you count sports fans as the wildlife) in my memory. A colleague's husband had his arm torn off by a alligator, but he was working in a nature preserve at the time. I don't go where the gators are known to hang out, so it's far down on my list of things to worry about.

People in the surrounding rural areas aren't so lucky. At least once a year someone gets attacked and seriously injured or killed by a wild animal: wildcats, feral pigs, alligators and rabid raccoons are the usual suspects. And then there's venomous snakes...

Of course, living in a city puts me at other risks, from my fellow humans and from traffic and pollution. I guess you just can't win.

[havocmom]

24. LOL 4 legged v 2 legged trouble...

Used to go camping alone when lived in Tucson. Co-workers used to ask if I was afraid of all the wild animals. :D Told 'em the two legged ones in town were what I really feared ;)

[BrklynLiberal]

16. You hit it right on the head about the encroachment factor.

They are not invading our homes - we are invading theirs.

[havocmom]

17. More & more, with more species, more locations, it seems they have drawn a line in the sand

They aren't giving any more ground to developers. Let the poodle owners beware!

[Fire Walk With Me]

19. In other news, wolf surprised by woman in spotlight!

[hunter]

20. Bears, coyotes, wolves, not so bad. Cats? Yikes.

I don't even like running into bobcats. Those little muscular furballs always look at you like they could rip your face off, and I'm pretty sure they could.

I've never had an up close encounter with a mountain lion, and I don't want to.

[havocmom]

22. Urban cats - bob by name. Photos from Daily Star slide show -readers uploaded

Lived near a racket club with big pool in Tucson. Also right at (usually) dry river bed with lots of little ravines from there up into the foothills then mountains. Wildlife corridors with oasis at the end ;)

Where they would drain water from black flushing the pools, one could find lots of animal tracks early in the AM. Several times, there were lion tracks in with the coyotes, deer, bunnies, javalina, ringtails and smaller cats.

The scropions where nasty too.

[hunter]

26. Yikes!

"If you were just a wee bit smaller, I could rip out your neck and eat you."

Yes, I can read their cat minds...

[YDogg]

23. I thought you meant a cougar like Stifler's mom.

[havocmom]

25. That's your secret wish? Hot tub invasion by semi-wild beauties!

Go on... the doctor is IN. :evilgrin:

[AnneD]

28. This guy might come in handy on your next trek......

http://scribalterror.blogs.com/scribal_terror/2005/09/cougarstomping_.html

I love mules.....

[havocmom]

29. Used to sleep outside a lot. Just over the fence were three horses. Good watchdogs

I want a pair of donkeys if we manage to get a place with a chunk of land.

[AnneD]

30. Other great watch animals...

geese and pigs. Geese will attack and pigs defend fiercely (just think of feral pigs). I was suprised that the mule went after the cougar (even if it was dead).

[YellowRubberDuckie]

31. Maybe the thought that his wife was cooking him some soup?

:evilgrin:

[havocmom]

32. Crossed my mind too. 'Mmmmmm, people stew!'

Are we sick? :rofl:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

33. We just have a sense of humor about things...

...that if you don't have a sense of humor about you turn into a Republican over. :shrug:
Duckie

[havocmom]

34. Hey, where were you last week when I had a question about my rubber duckie?

:hi:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

35. I have no idea.

What was the question? You should have PMed me.
Duckie