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Life On The Rocks In Tucson, Arizona

This Mountain Lion is checking out her domain.

These cats are called Cougars in other parts of the west. Here in Arizona, they're Mountain Lions.

Elsewhere in the West, and in most parts of country, I've heard these big cats called Cougars. Here in Arizona we call them Mountain Lions. You've read stories in the past few years about joggers in California being attacked by them.

It's not hard to imagine. These are very powerful animals. This one lives with its mate at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ. It's only three miles from our home in the Tucson Mountains, and a few years ago, my Darlin' and I saw one of these in our backyard.

Whatever you may call it, it's magnificent!

Whenever out-of-town guests come to Tucson, the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum is my favorite place to take them. Listed as one of the 10 best Zoos in the world, it's been here since the 1950's, and every year it gets better. Bring the kids; the place is all about education, and much of what's here provides kids with hands-on enjoyment. If you come to visit Tucson, call me; we'll take you, too.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

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Call me if I can help you with a mortgage to buy your next house: (520) 349-9090

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Posted by Mike Jones on 12/13/2008 10:36 PM

Comments (27)

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in the Regional (Localism) Channel

mike in tucson, tucson mortgage, va loans, fha rehab loans, kiddy condo loans, arizona sonoran desert museum, cougar, mountain lion

Originally posted at: Tucson By Choice!: Life On The Rocks In Tucson, Arizona

This post has been included in Arizona Information Pima County, AZ Information Tucson, AZ Information
Post is included in group: Local History
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27 Comments on Life On The Rocks In Tucson, Arizona

DEC

2008

Mike, your pictures are spectacular!

We have three Bob Cats living in back of our community. It seems that the coyote population has moved away ever since the Bob Cats were spotted a few weeks back.

Leolinda,

Thanks for the encouragement. I was telling my guests (brother JD and his wife--realtors from South Carolina) that a 93 year old neighbor has been feeding a huge male bobcat. That's against the law, but who's going to tell a 93 year old man what to do? I struck up a conversation with him, and he said that as a boy in Korea, he had a black bear for a pet!

Mike in Tucson

Mike these shot are awesome. I find rocks fascinating and having the mountain lion as part of the scene was just special.

I just don't want to see that cat in my neighborhood...lol

Mike- How absolutely gorgeous and stunning this lion is. I love cats, I am a cat person. When I was a little girl - Cat woman was my heroine.

We have black panthers here.

DEC

2008

Katerina,

Thanks for commenting. As a child, I grew up in the rainforest of Suriname, South America. We had jaguars there.

Jennifer,

I love rocks! My folks lived in Clavarack, NY, not far from Rhinebeck. Upstate NY used to have mountain lions, but I think you're safe at the moment. LOL

Mike in Tucson

Mike, that is one gorgeous cat. You photos are just awesome, you really captures this majestic cat in all his glory!

Ginger

My sister and her neighbor stopped walking in their neighborhood because there was one hanging around. It gave them quite a scare. I do believe it has munched a few dogs in the area.

Doreen,

Wow! Arizona still is the old west in many areas. One of the first things people told us when we moved to the desert was to keep pets indoors because of Coyotes and Mountain Lions.

Ginger,

Thanks for the encouragement! She is one magnificent animal.

Mike in Tucson

Thanks for the "heads up". I was out all day yesterday and quite a few posts got behind me.

These shots are fabulous.

And to think that some folks think the desert doesn't have much to see. What I find equally fascinating in these photos is the rock formations. I'm always in "awe" when I see rock formations that show strata, color and natural upheavals. Imagine the energy involved.

Wow, Mike! What a gorgeous cat! Your photos are spectacular as well. I love the one where he's looking at you. Have you ever heard them scream?? It's bone chilling. Thanks for the email!

I love to watch the big cats they are very impressive animals.

Terry,

They sure are!

Linda,

I have heard that while hiking in the Coronado National Forest. Bone-chilling is an apt description!

Lenn,

Thanks for saying so! I appreciate color and shades of color so much more since moving to the desert ten years ago. Early morning and late evening paint the landscape with an unbelievable palette.

Mike in Tucson

These cats are beautiful animals. There's something about all that strength and beauty combined that is really fascinating. Now I hope you used a really long-range zoom to get those shots =/ And yes, this should be in the Things to Do/Places to Visit group. I see it's in now. Did you put it back, or did it magically reappear? I know AR has been making a LOT of changes. Do you think it could have been a system change screwup?

DEC

2008

Lisa,

I included this post initially, but then I was reading your guidelines and wondered if it met them. It was never taken out by a moderator. Thanks for coming by to comment!

Mike in Tucson

What beautiful photos - cougar or mountain lion either way these are majestic cats - they are so agile and so strong - we have cougars and bob cats -

Thesa,

They certainly are! Thanks for coming by to comment.

Mike in Tucson

Mike,

I love zoos, and your pictures are great!!! Thanks, Fran

Mike, I was wondering how you got such close up pictures. That is quite the natural habitat. I love kitties but I don't think I would want one in my back yard.

DEC

2008

Mike - The Arizona Sonoran Desert Zoo sounds like our kind of place! We have "cougars" in our neck of the woods, much smaller than the beauties you have displayed so wonderfully for us here. Hope you have/had a wonderful visit with your family.

Those are spectacular photos of a mountain lion(s). We have them here in Utah, but not in St. George where I'm located.

Hi Mike; Beautiful photos! We have them on the Monterey Peninsula sometimes too. We had one hanging out in a neighborhood at one point. You can imagine that disclosure!