{"id":812105,"date":"2026-03-08T11:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T11:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/812105\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T11:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T11:16:16","slug":"photographer-spots-tricksy-mountain-lion-lurking-in-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/812105\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer Spots Tricksy Mountain Lion Lurking in Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A@strategist.to.naturalist<\/a> <\/p>\n

Mountain lions are rare in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and there\u2019s been a buzz in the National Elk Refuge recently where one has been spotted prowling around. <\/p>\n

But even when it\u2019s known that a mountain lion is in the area, they are still incredibly difficult to spot thanks to their elusive nature. This was demonstrated by Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures guide Billy Fabian this week when he captured footage of a cougar skulking around a rocky outcrop in Wyoming\u2019s Teton County. <\/p>\n

While Fabian\u2019s video isn\u2019t as hard as previous \u2018Can You Spot the Big Cat\u2019 challenges we\u2019ve run on PetaPixel before, it still demonstrates the apex predator\u2019s cunning nature. <\/p>\n

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As USA Today\u2019s For The Win reports<\/a>, mountain lions blend into their surroundings and are cautious about how they move. Fabian\u2019s video perfectly demonstrates this as the cat looks out from its hiding place with an untrusting and skeptical gaze. <\/p>\n

Fabian was guiding a group at the time of capture and used a Swarovski Optik ATX 95mm spotting scope with his smartphone attached to it via an Ollin Nature Snapshot adapter system. <\/p>\n

Mountain lions are solitary hunters that prey mostly on elk and mule deer in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but they will eat smaller mammals, too. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey prefer rocky terrain and forested areas that provide cover from competing predators such as wolves and bears,\u201d USA Today writes. \u201cMountain lions cache their kills, which attract other predators.\u201d <\/p>\n

If you somehow haven\u2019t spotted the mountain lion, which is slightly compromised by its gray beard, it\u2019s in the dead center of the image. If you would like some more difficult brain teasers, check out this fiendishly difficult one from 2023, showing an elk being stalked<\/a> in the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. <\/p>\n

\"Camougfaged<\/a>The elk is in imminent danger, but can you spot the predator that lurks in this photo? Answer on this link<\/a>. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just mountain lions, their big cat relatives can also disappear in plain sight: including snow leopards<\/a> and leopards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Check out Fabian\u2019s adventures in the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem on Instagram<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits:<\/strong> Photographs by Billy Fabian<\/p>\n