Mountain lion The mountain lion, or puma (or cougar, catamount, panther....) has a very wide range from southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but has been extirpated from all of the eastern US except a relic (and declining) population in south Florida. Despite their large size, wide range, and (in many places) substantial populations, mountain lions are normally very secretive and difficult to observe. This
captive animal (a former pet who outgrew his owner's tolerance) was photographed in a large enclosure at the Living Desert
Reserve, near Palm Desert, California.
Image copyright by Mark A. Chappell
