Curious encounter in California
At night when the cougar is chilling by the pool
A cougar that loves to swim made headlines in California over the weekend (icon image)
© Newman Mark/ / Picture Alliance
Cats are afraid of water? This obviously does not apply to very large specimens. One community in California currently has only one topic: a swimming cougar.
Pumas like to roam the area at night, sometimes the big cats cover considerable distances. But the specimen, which is currently the dominant topic of conversation in the city of Mission Viejo near Los Angeles, apparently wanted to take it easy this past weekend. Instead of the species-typical roaming around on four paws, this animal had a bit of fun in the water on the program.
And the puma had a choice: swimming pool or rather the beautiful lake? First it was the pool: in the middle of the night, the stately cat explored a family’s property. However, this did not go unnoticed, because the puma was discovered by a family man.
Middle of the night in California: “Honey, there’s a cougar sitting by the pool”
He, in turn, woke his wife up shortly before half past one on Saturday night and must have said something like “Honey, there’s a puma sitting by our pool”. The newspaper “Mercury News”, which wrote down all the details of what happened, said that the woman thought her husband was a bit crazy at the moment. But it was true: a puma was padding around the family swimming pool. According to the newspaper, the animal was particularly interested in a toy fish that belonged to one of the children.
But apparently the big light brown cat wasn’t the pool type after all. There was also a jetty on the property that leads directly to Lake Mission Viejo. The puma pensively sat for about a quarter of an hour and sat quietly on the jetty, it is said. The couple took the opportunity to take photos and a video of the puma.
However, the couple also took the opportunity to call for help. It is true that cougars are considered shy of humans, and attacks on humans are reportedly extremely rare. But right in inhabited areas, the big cats that are found in many regions in the western United States can become a danger, especially for children and also for pets such as smaller dogs.
Then the big cat jumped into the lake and swam calmly across it
While the couple were waiting for the local sheriff’s staff, amidst the peaceful silence, the puma suddenly jumped into the water for no apparent reason and began swimming across the lake – which was also filmed. The day after, several news stations reported on the water-loving puma and also showed videos of his nocturnal swimming adventure.
Finally, the sheriff’s team arrived during the night. The puma’s eyes gleamed in the light of their flashlights, its head just above the waterline as it made its way through the lake, they said. The animal swam a good 250 meters, as far as they could see it, and then probably went to shore somewhere else.
Local authorities are currently searching for the animal, which could be captured if it stays close to the settlements. In such cases, cougars are then released back into the uninhabited wilderness.
“The neighbors have no other topic of conversation at the moment than the swimming cougar,” said the woman who observed the animal on her property that night, according to “Mercury News”. Some joked that the wild cat probably came to the property for the great view. People should be careful when walking, authorities warn. And many dogs in the area are no longer allowed outside the door at night by their owners.
In “Animal Control” one is amazed at the water-loving wildcat. “We wouldn’t have believed the story without the video of the cougar swimming through the lake,” an animal catcher official said.
The puma is probably in a different area again
The puma has not been seen since the nocturnal encounter at Lake Mission Viejo, and the local press suspects that it is probably somewhere else. After all, these animals can cover really great distances in one night. And this specimen doesn’t seem to care whether it walks over land or swims. A newsreader commented on what was happening dryly: Such a puma also does what we humans like: chilling out comfortably by the water and then going for a swim.
Swell: “Mercury News“, “News AT 1“, “CBS“
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