Wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau and Rachel de Vlugt encountered the animal while hiking in the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in southern California
Mark Girardeau and Rachel de Vlugt
came across the mountain lion while returning from a hiking trail. Image courtesy: Instagram
In a chilling encounter, two hikers who went on a hiking trail recently faced an experience of their life after they came face to face with a mountain lion. They had gone hiking in the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in southern California.
The hikers have been identified as Mark Girardeau (a wildlife photographer) and Rachel de Vlugt. They were returning from a hiking trail when they came across a mountain lion.
Taking to his social media account, Girardeau posted a note mentioning that their encounter with the mountain lion lasted for two minutes before the big cat backed down. Further explaining the incident, the photographer cited that he along with Vlugt was hiking after checking trail cams, and all of a sudden, he saw something brown running up the hill towards them.
By the time they realised what it was the mountain lion was almost 5 to 10 feet from them. Then it stopped and stared at both the hikers. Keeping his calm, Girardeau began filming the incident and shouted “get back” at the lion several times. In the video, he also asks his co-hiker to hold on and be strong and not to turn her back to it.
Check out the chilling post here.
Towards the end of the post, Girardeau explained his actions.
“Mountain lions do not seek humans out to feed on and this is why it’s good to hold your ground because any prey item for mountain lions runs away. Attacks on humans are extremely rare and you’re more likely to win the lotto or get struck by lightning,” the post reads. He also explained that the mountain lion could either have a kill nearby and was defending it or mistook the hikers to be deers.
Girardeau also notified that the mountain lion was a female, which is known as Uno. Additionally, giving advice on the same, Girardeau stated that always announce yourself (to the mountain lion) and proclaim supremacy over the situation.