COUGARS AMONG US

After a 5 day work week, yesterday was one of two days off, and I was ready! Dealing with the public on the buses here at the Grand Canyon, presents some unique challenges, and a day off was just what the doctor ordered.

Patty had a late shift, so we spent the morning together, and I fixed one of my mega breakfasts. Just before she went to work, Sami and I took off for a long walk up "Sami's road", then turned right at the end. We had not gone this way before, and we ended up at Mather Campground, making a loop back to the motor home. Not sure how far we walked, but time wise, it was almost an hour, and the little old dog's tongue was hanging pretty far out when we got home.

I took care of a few household chores, and just kind of relaxed most of the afternoon. Later, I attended one of the Ranger talks at the McKee Amphitheater, and it was most excellent! The subject matter of Mountain Lions is what attracted my attention, and Lori, the interpretive ranger was not only informative, but quite entertaining. Yes, there are Mountain Lions here at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, but after looking at a G.P.S. mapping of one particular Lions movements, I think it's safe to say that folks staying here in the Village have nothing to worry about.

It was a fascinating talk about an incredible animal that lives among us, but is rarely seen. Lori had some video of 3 Lion Cubs that were 4 weeks old, and were being ear tagged while the mother was away hunting. She participated in this venture about 4 years ago, and due to the mother having previously been collared, they were able to safely tag these babies, and document their condition. Unfortunately, the story didn't have a happy ending, as the mom was killed by an Elk, which is the Lions primary prey animal here in the Park. Even though the Mountain Lion is at the top of the naturally food chain, there are plenty of inherent dangers to this top predator. When the mother was killed, the cubs were only about 2 months old, and due to their young age, were not old enough to survive on their own.

Later, when Patty got off work, I told her about the program, and that it should be presented a few more times this summer. I know she will be captivated by the subject matter, and by Lori, who did an incredible job of engaging the audience, and capturing every one's attention.