cougar

Cougar Caught Scent Marking on Camera

These four individual clips give us a glimpse into the way a cougar marks its territory.

Seeing a cougar in the wild is extremely rare. These majestic animals are solitary, secretive, and extremely stealthy - making a sighting all the more memorable if one happens. Thankfully, trail cameras have afforded us the luxury of witnessing incredible wildlife moments, and all captured on film for future viewing.

The following video gives us a rare glimpse into the scent marking habits of a cougar. In order to define territory, advertise dominance, or attract a mate, males will create a 'scratch pile' - a scraping in the ground that is formed by the hind feet. He will then urinate in it and often deposit scat.

Check out these four clips showing this unique behavior (and listen to the short vocalization at the 21 second mark!):

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It's pretty neat what trail cameras allow us to see in the wild. If you watched the date stamps closely, this footage was recorded over a month, from March 13 to April 13.

Who's been lucky enough to spot a cougar in the wild? Definitely on my bucket list.

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