Two mountain bikers in Orange County, California, recently lived through every hiker's worst nightmare.

According to local station ABC7, the pair was riding in Whiting Ranch in early November when a young mountain lion stepped out of the brush and started trailing them.

What's happening?

The footage is enough to make viewers jump right out of their skin. It shows the big cat stalking the cyclists as they slowly back away, holding their bikes up like shields. 

This all went down in the same area where a rider was fatally attacked back in 2004, giving the video an even heavier, more ominous weight.

"I'm assuming, because it's such a young mountain lion, because it still has spots, it probably recently left mom," community scientist and wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau told ABC7. "And it's probably just not sure of what to do. Maybe it's just curious and trying to figure out what these humans are."

Why is this concerning?

It's easy to panic when we see apex predators in our backyards, but we have to look at the scorecard. As developments continue to sprawl, more wild spaces are being bulldozed. It's like setting up a tent in someone else's kitchen and then complaining when they come in to make a sandwich.

The encroachment forces wildlife into uncomfortable proximity with people and threatens their already vulnerable populations. Compounded by extreme conditions such as drought, which can also push animals to roam in search of food and water, human-wildlife encounters can pose lethal dangers not only to the people who find themselves in hazardous situations but also to the animals themselves, who are sometimes killed in response.

Addressing this issue is key to protecting biodiversity — and, by extension, to human well-being. 

We need these cats. Mountain lions are a "keystone species," which basically means they are a load-bearing wall of the local environment. If you knock them out, the roof caves in. 

Without them, deer populations explode and strip the land bare, destroying the habitat for birds, bugs, and small mammals. Protecting mountain lions isn't just about saving a cool animal — it's about keeping the whole house from collapsing.

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What's being done about it?

It can sometimes feel like a losing battle, but we may actually be getting smarter about coexistence. And we've seen interventions work wonders before. 

In Colorado, officials saved mountain lion cubs trapped in a dam, proving we can step in to help rather than just harm. A hiker even captured viral footage of a starving lion, sparking a conversation about the harsh realities these animals face.

And in Massachusetts, a massive conservation project just secured 800 acres of habitat. By protecting and preserving huge swaths of wilderness, we can give predators the room they need to roam without ending up on a bike trail.

This also creates a safety buffer that protects both our families and the biodiversity we depend on. It's all about finding the right balance.

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