Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Florida Panther and other names. This beautiful cat has a vast range from Canada down through Chile. I have spent FAR more time and effort searching for this animal than any other on my website. I have hiked 6~7 days/nights per week for nearly 20 years just looking for these. I have used camera traps, lures, thermal vision and many other tricks. Over all those years of looking, I have had 8 sightings but never been able to get a good photo until this 8th sighting. Hundreds and hundreds of hours out hiking and watching for my opportunity. It is my opinion that given how many puma exist and how wide their range, the fact these are so rarely seen makes them one of the most elusive animals on the planet.
Near Arivaca, Arizona December 2020


It takes a LOT of luck to see mountain lions in the wild throughout most of their range. However, I have been able to get dozens of camera trap images of them just around the San Francisco Bay Area. Here are a couple such pics: