http://www.abqjournal.com/sports/2012/09/06/encounter-with-cougar-a-little-too-close-for-runner.html

This happened on a hiking-only trail just north of the upper end of the Albuquerque Foothills Trail System located right at the east edge of the city, which are the main MTB trails close-by. It is about 4 miles from my house. I have seen their tracks once in a while, but only have seen a couple of live mountain lions in the Jemez mountains 45 miles north. Makes one pay a little closer attention when riding.

Link doesn’t work but from the gist of your post i take it cougars have been spotted on the trails?….there’s a similar problem round our way on the trails at Kirroughtree. Ageing Cougars from Newton Stewart patrol out and about round the trails and launch themselves at the less experienced or older riders who cannot sprint away – it does make you wary of going out night riding and stopping for a piddle at the side of the trail is to be discouraged as they can smell you from 20ft away.

All of us in this area are on high alert whenever we go out riding as 6 weeks ago we lost a newbie to a vicious attack, he took a small tumble off the trail behind us and in the time it took us to stop he was gone, nothing left of him but we knew a cougar had struck as there was a whiff of cheap perfume hanging in the air….so sad 🙁

I saw not one…but two lizards (or is it lizai?) last night.Both of them were nearly 2 inches long each.
True story brah.

Wonder why the link didn’t work as it did when I did a preview.

Basically a runner encoutered said cougar (of the feline variety) 😆 He started slowly backing down the trail and said cat started to follow him–he climbed up a pine tree and started throwing branches, pinecones, yelling, etc. After about 15 minutes, the cat just walked away into the forest. Guy headed home to change shorts.

similar problems in the south of England at the moment..

sound advice if confronted:

If you encounter a mountain lion:

? Stop or back away slowly if you can do so safely.

? Stay calm when you come upon a lion talk calmly yet firmly to it and move slowly.

? Pick up all children off the ground and tell them to stay calm.

? Do not run from a lion, as fleeing behavior may trigger the instinct of the lion to attack.

? Face the lion — do not turn your back — remain in an upright position and look as large as possible (raise your arms, open up your coat, if you’re wearing one).

? Carry a walking stick and use it to defend yourself by keeping it between you and the lion. If the lion approaches closer or behaves aggressively, arm yourself with the stick, throw rocks or sticks at the lion, and speak louder and more firmly to the lion. Convince the lion you are dominant and a danger to it.

? Fight back if a lion attacks you. Stay standing — and if you fall down, try to get back up on your feet.

I saw a very big slug and have photographic evidence.
Did back away very slowly though.

similar problems in the south of England at the moment..

I thought of that post from a few days ago when I saw the article—did anything ever come of that?

sound advice if confronted:

They have signs posted at all the trailheads that give that same advice, posted right above the “Rattlesnakes are to be found in the area”

I saw a slow worm last Sunday and took a photo of it as well, does that count? 😆

Did back away very slowly though.

You or the slug?

I encounter a cougar on my local trails now and then but she keeps ignoring my advances, maybe I need to start flapping my jacked around more.

I ran over a grey squirral a couple of weeks back, the hardy little begger ran off though, the rat i ran over a week later wasn’t so lucky.

Fight back if a lion attacks you. Stay standing — and if you fall down, try to get back up on your feet.

😆

? Carry a walking stick…

Which walking stick for cannock chase?

Badgers, gotta be careful of them crafty buggers!

I ran over a grey squirrel a couple of weeks back, the hardy little begger ran off though

same happened with me not far from my house.. when I passed the spot six hours later on my way home the little so and so was in a tree roaring his disapproval at me.. 😯

unless of course he had died of his injuries and it was his dad.. 😥

watch out for this guy if you cycle in the south:

I’ve heard he’s a really nasty bit of work……….. 😉

Lies. I’ve never been anywhere near Albuquerque.

Lies. I’ve never been anywhere near Albuquerque.

LOL Obviously a case of identity theft

Plenty of Rattle snakes at Red Rock canyon near Las Vegas. Make you jump when you see them.

Plenty of Rattle snakes at Red Rock canyon near Las Vegas. Make you jump when you see them.

Know what you mean–I used to live in Las Vegas and hiked up in that area a lot–way before mountain biking days.

Have had my ride stopped by a family of wild boar before in the Forest of Dean.

Can tell you what too, think I’d rather fight a cougar than some wild boar! Vicious bastards they are, sharp tusks, and they’re not small either.

Ran over a grey squirrel (that I was trying to avoid, I thin he was on a suicide mission) on my road bike the other evening. He made quite a noise as his head went under my wheel at 20mph I can tell you! Stupid little bastard, I missed him cleanly then he changed direction!

Same thing happened with a pheasant years ago when I was riding my motorbike. Changed lanes to miss him, as he panicked and changed lanes to where I was going. Then he started flapping, and flew up into my left (clutch) hand as I was doing 70mph. Needless to say a 70mph punch ended his chances of surviving the day somewhat promptly, but my god it hurt! Was amazed it didn’t break my knuckle…

A squirrel fell out of a tree onto my head whilst I was riding last year.

We both escaped injury.

Wouldn’t like to happen across a crack fox on an evening commute along the canal

I raced in Oz a couple of years ago. The pre-race briefing was the usual stuff about overtaking etiquette, pit stops and feed zones etc and a little warning about he local wildlife.
“There is a brown snake, called the Brown Snake, a black snake called the Black Snake and a black snake with a red belly called the Red Bellied Black Snake. All three are dangerous and all three have been spotted on the course.”
I didn’t see any, but there were some huge spiders, came out at night, bigger than my hand just walking down the race track completely unfazed by the bikes.
It was the magpies we had to watch for though, they would attack for no apparent reason, always going for the head. With a helmet on this obviously didn’t hurt. However, their favourite place to attack was along a one foot wide trail with a cliff up to one side and a 50ft drop to the other. Not the ideal place for something like that to make you jump!

Had a few close encounters with black bears in Whistler last year! They’re fine though, so long as you don’t seem a threat they just carry on 🙂 There were also signs up saying cougars had been spotted in the area but i didn’t see any of those about.