Visiting Tucson? Meet one of the locals...

ItsyRV wrote:

FF286 wrote:
I would like to visit where I could see some of the larger predators, but preferably from a distance.

Throughout the southwest there are always wildlife in the feline, swine, carnivorian and other species inhabiting just about everywhere. However sighting one is very rare as they do not make it a habit of hanging out with people. This is why on the few occasions human and animals interact, it's news. To see wildlife in a natural setting, you have to go where that specif animal inhabit. Javalina in one area, bears in another, Mexican Geay Wolves over there, bobcats somewhere else and mountain lions in others. Coyotes, rattle snakes, scorpions and fire ants are everywhere.

I know you can visit some state's Game and Fish or Natural Resources websites and read the areas in those states where these predator species inhabit. Still, you often have to get away from areas frequent by humans and be patient. I was camping one place and only saw tracks for a week until the day I was leaving when a bobcat happen to be sitting on some rocks watching the humanlife.

Truth be told, in Arizona, you have a greater chance of being attacked and killed by Africanized (killer) Bees while walking in a WalMart parking lot versus being attacked by a mountain lion.

Just get out into nature and away from humans, wildlife will appear.

I get defending the territory of big cats. They're one of the most impressive animals for strength agility, adaptability etc.
But any of you who think your chances of a bad encounter with a cougar are not a real concern if in their habitat where they're present are sorely mistaken.
You may actually be using the Walmart parking lot as a basis for your theory. Or you're just a granola munching leaf licker who's in denial of the actual food chain once you exit the safety of your Subaru!
Go get yourself stalked by one and come back with the same view. You either won't come back or you won't have the same view.
It's just like wolves. The statistics involving human encounters seems innocuous. Only a few attacks a year. That's becasue there's relatively few that actually venture into their natural habitat enough to contribute to the statistics.