Hikers Left Awestruck by a Rare Wildlife Encounter in Big Bend National Park: ‘We Realized...’

Hikers were frolicking about the Big Bend National Park until they caught someone silently observing them. It wasn't a person but a large wildcat partially hidden behind shrubs. On Saturday, Joey Thometz and two others set out for an adventure before sunrise on the Boot Canyon Trail. About nearly half a mile south of the Emory Peak junction, they halted their hike after catching the silent yet dangerous gaze of the wild creature. According to Chron, the hikers witnessed the wild animal leap about 50 feet high to jump over the trail and climb up the hill to their right. Although the park visitors experienced the sight, they couldn't immediately make sense of it and were scared for their lives.

“All I could see at first was a large tan body, long tail, black tip,” Thometz told the publication. For a few moments, the animal disappeared into the hill, but the hikers were still terrified, anticipating the worst possible outcome. When they leaned to get a better view of the animal on the hill, Thometz and his fellow hikers could finally recognize it. “We spotted it standing on a large rock, peaking at us. That’s when I took the video and where we realized it was indeed a mountain lion," Thometz revealed. In the video, the big cat was captured half-concealed behind the bushes. With a tilted head, the mountain lion stared at the strangers standing ahead. 

Thometz describes the animal as having a "surreal" appearance with sharp facial features and muscles. “We were in disbelief. We were glad to be in a group of three adults," he added. After they stopped capturing the lion's activities on camera, the hikers tried to shoo the wild animal away by slamming their trekking poles on the ground. The tactic worked! The mountain lion turned around and paddled up the hill with a calm demeanor.

They continued on the hiking trail, but they could still see the creature's movements up the hill. “We continued forward on the trail to add more distance between us. We could still see it moving in the opposite direction up the hill. The whole encounter lasted under a minute," Thometz added. After covering some more distance, the hiking team stumbled upon a park volunteer, who became the first listener of their amazing and wild encounter. 

The volunteer passed the information to park officials, who later added it to their report. The Big Bend National Park is rich in mountain lion and bear populations, and there are warning signboards everywhere. The warning boards also provide information to the tourists on what to do if they spot any of these wild creatures. Thometz was "glad" that they read the signboard carefully.

“The signs specifically say not to run so that you do not trigger their predator instincts," the hiker added. Although a frightening experience, mountain lion sightings at the national park are quite common. According to the National Park Service, more than 150 mountain lion, aka cougar, sightings occur each year at the national park. These creatures prefer isolation and are usually found in remote mountains and terrains with dense cover. The visitors of the park typically encounter these creatures on the trail path — like Thometz's hiking team — or park roadways. 

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