GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Photographer Susan Winfree had the rare opportunity of watching a mountain lion possessively claim a carcass in the deep snow.
Winfree told Buckrail that she photographed the big cat in Grand Teton National Park, a region where they are known to be present.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), mountain lions are the most elusive of the large carnivore species in Wyoming. They can be found statewide but are rarely seen.
The WGFD wrote on its website that mountain lions use a stalk and ambush predation strategy to remain undetected. They prefer rocky outcroppings and forested areas that provide cover when hunting prey or when escaping from competitors, such as bears.
The predator’s primary food source are deer and elk, although based on research conducted in Wyoming, they also eat a variety of mammals including porcupines, raccoons, beavers and coyotes.
Mountain lions can live to be more than 10 years of age in Wyoming. However, their life span can be shorter in areas where they are hunted, according to the National Park Service.
