Apex predator startles lone hiker on California trail. See the scary encounter
A fearsome apex predator popped out right in front of a lone hiker on a California trail, tense video shows.
Cortney Rasura was 6 miles into the 8 miles she’d planned to hike on the Gridley Trail in the Los Padres National Forest near Ojai when she encountered a mountain lion — and it was walking straight toward her along the trail, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I glanced up and that’s when I saw the mountain lion walking toward me,” 54-year-old Rasura told the news outlet. “And it was right on the path. …In all my years I’ve never seen one.”
Instinctually, the experienced hiker recorded the rare encounter, she told the outlet. After all, she didn’t feel threatened by what looked like a “curious” cougar about 60 feet away.
But in a video she recorded of the encounter, you can hear the fear in her voice as she repeatedly yells — and at one point, roars — at the mountain lion to “go away.”
The mountain lion spots her, then turns off the trail and heads up the mountain, the video shows.
But it returns to the trail moments later, this time even closer as it heads right toward her, the video shows.
“And then a few seconds later, it comes out of that bush, and it’s walking toward me again on the trail,” she told KTLA. “Looking at me, walking with me… then I was kind of panicking. Like, oh my gosh, what is it going to do?”
She repeatedly yells “no” at the cougar as she backs away a few steps, being careful to remain facing the predator, the video shows.
You can hear the relief in her voice as the cougar again turns and heads back up the mountain through the bushes.
“Thank you,” she says through a heavy breath. “Oh my god.”
Several people commended Rasura for how bravely she navigated the situation.
“You did well not behaving like prey,” someone said.
“Probably the most majestic, cool, and terrifying thing I’ve ever seen,” someone else said.
Ojai is about an 85-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.
Mountain lions
Mountain lions are solitary, elusive animals, according to the National Park Service. The chances of seeing a mountain lion are slim, but people can encounter them.
“Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk,” park rangers said. “However, lions are unpredictable and can be dangerous.”
If you see a mountain lion, experts advise you:
Don’t approach it: Mountain lions usually want to avoid confrontation.
Don’t run: It could stimulate their chase instincts.
Stand tall: Face the mountain lion and make eye contact.
Keep children close: If a mountain lion is approaching, pick up small children so they don’t panic or run.
Don’t crouch or bend over: A mountain lion could perceive you as prey.
Fight back: If a mountain lion attacks, use rocks, sticks, jackets or anything you can get your hands on to fight back.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Apex predator startles lone hiker on California trail. See the scary encounter."
