They Captured this Wildlife Photographer's Heart!

By Noella Ballenger

The mountain lion (also called cougar) looked stunning against the mountain of fresh snow that had fallen in the night. These animals are so powerful that I was very, very glad that I had never had an encounter this close to one in the wild. They are tawny to greyish in color with a very long tail with a dark brown tip. This animal model had incredibly intense, ice-blue eyes.

Coming down the red rocks of Utah, the mountain lion almost disappeared in the background. The strength in the paws is incredibly evident here. This cat is secretive and seldom seen in the wild. It mostly stays on the ground but will climb trees to avoid dogs. It's primary food is deer. It's numbers are decreasing due to the pressure of farmers and sportsmen.