Hiker Films ‘Amazing and Terrifying’ Close Encounter with Mountain Lion

A woman hiking alone on a quiet trail in California recorded the terrifying moment she came face-to-face with a mountain lion.

Cortney Rasura was walking along the Gridley Trail in Ojai, California around 6:30 p.m. on July 3, something she has done for years, when she suddenly spotted a mountain lion just a few feet ahead, heading straight toward her.

Although shocked, Rasura managed to take out her phone and start filming the encounter, according to a report by news outlet Edhat. She kept still and avoided sudden movements that could provoke the animal.

The footage shows the mountain lion stopping on the trail, disappearing briefly into the brush, then reappearing in front of Rasura this time even closer.

‘An Amazing and Terrifying Experience’

Instead of running, Rasura stands her ground. She locks eyes with the mountain lion and shouts “no” and “go away” repeatedly as the wild animal creeps toward her in the video. When that didn’t seem to work, she is heard screaming in an effort to scare the mountain lion off.

The tense standoff lasts several seconds, and the animal steps forward a few more times before finally turning away and climbing up the hillside, leaving Rasura alone on the trail. She continued walking, carefully checking behind her to make sure it wasn’t following.

“I have been hiking in Ojai for over 15 years and had never come across a mountain lion before. It was an amazing and terrifying experience all at the same time,” Rasura tells Edhat.

The National Park Service advises that if a hiker encounters a mountain lion, they should stay calm, avoid running, and never approach, crouch, or bend over near the animal.

If the mountain lion approaches, the hiker should try to appear large and threatening, and yell to scare it off, just as Rasura did. If the animal continues to move closer, the NPS recommends throwing objects to deter it. In the event of an attack, they say the person should fight back. All sightings or encounters should be reported to the Forest Service.

Last year, PetaPixel reported on a photographer who captured a spectacular camera-trap picture of a mountain lion in the Verdugo Hills with downtown Los Angeles sparking behind it.