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1. We were
still trying to decide if it's only a stump, when Kelly said, it moved!
I dismounted and used the digital zoom. However, I could not see anything
thru the camera, as a long zoom requires a steady tripod. I videotaped
blindly, while Kelly said: he's moving left!
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2. Kelly
and I reviewed our safe options: the lion was moving, but not away from
us! We wanted to see him, but safely. I got back
on the horse, to be ready to move if need be, not runnning, just backing
up slowly and appear large and tall. |
3. The
lion must have been aware that we saw him. He most certainly heard us talk,
saw us point at him, we were definitely not pretending to be wildlife experts
blending in the bushes. He was not afraid of us, either, or he would have
gone beyond the ridge.
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4. He
started coming down the hill, his coat blending perfectly with the rocky
ridges. I wasn't worried, I knew already, this was a perfect encounter:
this lion was clearly not hunting. He was not interested in us. He was
out in the open, looking somewhere away -- not stalking us. Although I
have heard reports of cougars circling at a distance around riders, Fort
Ord is not remote and I just enjoyed this encounter on trail. |
5.
We were very careful to not wind up below him, we stoped on the trail and
just watched. Had he come towards us, we might have slowly, without running,
ridden towards higher ground.
But
he sped up downhill, crossed our trail, and disappeared in rocky terrain
below the trail.
Fort
Ord is surrounded by new developments. In this particular spot of open
country, we saw no deer -- the deer must all seek out the rosebushes and
gardens aruond the newer homes replacing the old, sparsely-populated ranches.
This cougar perhaps was searching for small prey and he was as neutral
and polite to us, as we were to him. I wonder if a lion with cubs would
be out in the open. I hope she would not.
About
the horses, I would not be riding a horse on the open trail unless I had
assured myself that this horse would respect and trust me to be his/her
leader. Soley and Gjalp are unfazed by most trail hazards. It might have
come in handy that I spent some time in the past desensitizing Gjalp to
raincoats, flags, and other flapping objects around her, and above her:
if the lion had been closer, or above us, Kelly and I might have picked
a coat, or a flag (crop with a cloth at the end) and waved it up above
our heads to make us look hugely tall. |
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Links
to full-size photos:
101.
collage photo of the lion crossing our trail
2.lion
leaving the tree
3.along
the rocky ridge
4.lion
on the rocks
5.surveying
the trail
6.hurrying
donwhill Away from the cover of the rocks, the lion speeds up. He is
hurrying dowonhill to cross the trail in front of us. He is afely far away
and ahead of us, I'm still vidoetaping while riding Gjalp, following Kelly's
verbal instructions as I can't see him thru the small screen.
7.a
no-zoom photo This is how far we really were, waiting for the lion
to cross. (lion highlighted)
8.lion
close to trail He is about to cross the trail, and likely go hunt small
prey for lunch. I feel lucky we can ride in such beautiful country. |
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