The lion and the Lab
This photo, forwarded by lawyer and trails advocate Paul Ayers, was apparently taken Wednesday by a Jet Propulsion Lab employee from the bridge that goes from the JPL parking lot in the Upper Arroyo Seco to the Lab itself.
In other words, the part of the Arroyo where the mountain lion is strolling is well within the city of Pasadena, and quite close to hiking and biking trails that hundreds of people use each day. Cause for widespread panic? Nah. The very reason I'm posting it is because it's so rare to see one of the big cats so close to town. But, no, you wouldn't want to meet up with it while taking a leisurely stroll to Gould Mesa with the family.
Comments
Larry:
That looks like a bobcat or wildcat. A much smaller critter than a mountain lion.
Posted by: Sid Gally | January 18, 2008 8:37 PM
hi sid -- for once i get to stump the expert! nope, that is a cougar, a puma, a mountain lion, a catamount, a panther. if your computer lets you, zoom in on it, and look at the size of the tail -- a mighty rope -- or its left front paw, which is big as a boulder. there are only two kinds of indigenous wild felines here -- and i have been fortunate to have seen four bobcats (one on linda vista avenue) up close and that ain't no bobcat. in the first place, bobcats literally have bobbed tails about three or four inches long. that guy there is somewhere around 100 pounds. the only mountain lion i saw up close was an oddly tame one on a leash up at zorthian's once -- spitting image of this guy. cheers, larry
Posted by: larry | January 19, 2008 7:02 PM
I was on that bridge yesterday and was told of the mountain lion. A while back, I saw a bobcat pass in front of me on the upper trail to the left of this location. He walked on past the JPL security booth located at the west end of the bridge.
Posted by: Liz Garrison | January 20, 2008 1:26 PM
I was on that bridge yesterday and was told of the mountain lion. A while back, I saw a bobcat pass in front of me on the upper trail to the left of this location. He walked on past the JPL security booth located at the west end of the bridge.
Posted by: Liz Garrison | January 20, 2008 1:28 PM