Sometimes at night, the cameras pick up our local wildlife up here on the mountain. This big guy was one of the first full grown mountain lions I have ever seen in the wild.

California is home to a significant population of mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas. This one specifically is a Puma concolor, the only species of wild cat in California that reaches this size. These elusive predators are highly adaptable and inhabit a wide range of environments, from forests and mountains to the edges of suburban neighborhoods.

In recent years, mountain lions have increasingly appeared in residential areas across California. Urban sprawl and habitat fragmentation force these large cats to navigate through human-dominated landscapes in search of food, water, and territory. Their primary prey is deer, but in developed areas, they may also hunt smaller mammals or, rarely, domestic pets.

While mountain lion sightings can be alarming, attacks on humans are extremely rare. Most mountain lions avoid people, passing through neighborhoods at night, as seen in this photo. Luckily, I was not outside when he walked by.