Hiker meets mountain lion
A viral clip from @AMAZlNGNATURE shows a hiker stumbling on a mountain lion, racking up over 80,000 views and sparking safety debates about encounters on trails. (x.com) The post had 551 likes and 112 replies as of April 2, with commenters trading 'what would you do?' scenarios. (x.com)
The footage corresponds to an encounter recorded by hiker Cortney Rasura on Gridley Trail in Ojai, California on July 3, 2025. (edhat.com) In the clip Rasura keeps her phone up, maintains eye contact and repeatedly yells “No!” as the mountain lion steps onto the trail, then the cat turns away and leaves after a brief standoff; local TV stations later aired her video. (petapixel.com) Local and national outlets — including CBS Los Angeles and NBC News — carried the footage, and the original encounter has been widely reposted across social platforms by accounts that aggregate viral wildlife clips. (cbsnews.com) Coverage noted that Rasura’s actions mirror official guidance from state wildlife authorities — remain calm, don’t run, try to appear large and back away slowly — advice the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has published for mountain-lion encounters. (yahoo.com) Rasura told CBS she doesn’t plan to stop hiking the Gridley Trail but will be more prepared, and news reports say authorities ask hikers to report sightings to the Forest Service or local wildlife agencies after encounters. (cbsnews.com)
