A hiker recently had a frightening encounter with a mountain lion on the Gridley Trail, an 11.5-mile out-and-back trail near Ojai, California. The woman stood her ground and shouted “no!” repeatedly at the mountain lion, which eventually left the trail, allowing her to carry on unharmed.
“No means no,” wrote Cortney Rasura, the hiker who took the video. Rasura shared the footage to her Instagram page, and several outlets picked it up. Many people in the comments section note that Rasura was very brave, and she did exactly what you’re supposed to do when confronted with a curious (non-aggressive) mountain lion: stand tall, don’t run, and make loud noises.
[RELATED: TikTok of ‘Terrifying Mountain Lion Encounter’ Raises Questions]
Fun fact: If you hike in mountain lion territory, carry bear spray, because it’s effective against mountain lions, too.
Watch several videos from the hiker who had a scary mountain lion encounter here:
Header stock image by Kathleen Reeder Wildlife Photography/Getty Images
Best Bear (and Mountain Lion) Sprays
Learn more about bear sprays here.
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