Posted on 04/08/2011 12:08:09 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
PHOENIX -- Who knew that a bobcat could climb a plant with millions of sharp spines without injury?
Photographer Curt Fonger captured some great images of a bobcat that climbed a saguaro Tuesday.
Fonger's friend says the bobcat ran through the grounds at Smiling Dog Landscape in Gold Canyon.
A mountain lion was running after the bobcat, probably looking for breakfast.
Fonger's friend said the bobcat clawed its way to the top of the cactus and stared back down at the mountain lion.
The bobcat stayed up there all day long. The mountain lion eventually lost interest and wandered off.
Curt Fonger, who's been taking wildlife photographs for 40 years, says this was his most memorable shoot ever.
"When he looked down at me, those beautiful amber eyes with those dark slits said it all. It was so refreshing to be able to personally witness this bobcat at that precise moment," Fonger said. "A story of survival. He wasn't nervous or frightened. Instead he had a personified "Calm after the Storm" demeanor. A lesson more of us could learn from."
Fonger said the creature even took a "bobcatnap" during the morning. How comfy could that be?
"In my 40 years of photography this was without doubt a defining moment in being at the right place at the right time. I'm still smiling a day later," Fonger said.
(Excerpt) Read more at kpho.com ...
Yikes, that’s one tall saguaro!
Bobcats are handsome little stinkers, btw.
I would climb a cactus to escape a mountain lion, too.
Motivation, baby.
That was one lucky bobcat...
Maybe a floor model.
...or one unlucky lion.
Cute bobcat, but I didn’t see a mountain lion.
That cactus puts the OW in Meow!
Meoooooowwww
The Mrs
I saw this in a very old Disney movie about the Grand Canyon. Something like a bear scared the mountain lion up into the cactus. In reality, these events are usually staged by the photographers, there is almost no way a photographer was there if this randomly happened.
Wonderful pictures at the source. Don’t miss the slideshow.
I would of read those eyes as saying 'Oh God, I'm in so much pain'...
“He did what he had to do to live another day.”
The puma got tired of being taunted and left. Nyah, nyah!
But wait! That is a picture of a mountain lion on a saguaro cactus. If mountain lions can also climb cactus, why didn’t he pursue the bobcat?
Indeed!
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