Justin Taylor Smith was taking a scenic route in northern California when he suddenly spotted a mountain lion running along the road. He started filming, capturing the moment the cougar stopped and stared right at him before going on its way. Smith was mostly speechless, and at one point said he just needed a second to let the experience soak in.
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“Saw this absolute beaut from the road today in Northern CA while taking the scenic route south back from the northlands,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post sharing his video. “I had to pull over and just sit there and watch it as it stared, like the whole universe was staring right back at me. then just like that, it was gone over the fence and into the hills. A chance encounter. I sat and my eyes welled at how precious and fragile everything is, even this big cat.”
Smith clearly understood how rare and, in his words, lucky the encounter was. From the safety of his vehicle, Smith was in the perfect position to enjoy the moment and reflect.
See a man’s encounter with a mountain lion in northern California here: