Mountain Lions, or Cougars, (Puma concolor) are very large, pale brown cats with short ears and a very long tail. They are tawny (gray-brownish) overall, except for brown or black on the tip of the tail. Adult mountain lions weigh 80-200 pounds.

Mountain Lions are fairly common in the deserts and mountains around Las Vegas, but they are shy and seldom seen. Occasionally, however, old animals will move into the edges of town where it is far easier to catch and eat house cats than it is to catch mule deer or bighorn sheep. Unfortunately, these majestic animals always end up dead at the hands of fearful humans.

Mountain Lions have a cry that is similar to that of a tomcat in a fight, but much louder. I've never seen a wild Mountain Lion, but I've heard two. I heard one at dusk near a spring on Mt. Charleston; it only cried once, but it sent shivers up my spine. The other one was on a campout on my property in Arizona. The big cat sat on some rocks across a canyon from me and cried on and off for over an hour. I stoked my fire a little higher and marveled at the amazing sounds.

Although seldom seen, look for scat to reveal their presence. Like house cats, mountain lions cover their scat, although not always well. Watch for circular scratching in the dirt with a little pile of dirt towards the center. Sometimes the poop isn't even covered. Dig up the scat with a stick and notice its segmented nature. House cats and bobcats also have segmented poop, but it is much smaller than lion poop.