This month’s Nature’s Heartbeat is about mountain lions, living in 21 of 23 countries in the Americas. Because of the vast range it occupies, it holds the Guinness world record for the animal with the greatest number of names. It has over 40 names in English alone including America’s lion, mountain lion, cougar, puma and panther.

The Mountain Lion Foundation believes the status of the mountain lion population is virtually unknown and very much in question. Every day, our remaining lions are threatened by population growth, poaching, hunting, development, pollution, and habitat loss. It’s estimated that people alone are responsible for the death of more than 3,000 mountain lions in the U.S. each and every year.

Please help in raising awareness of the beauty of these animals and the value in protecting them. I am grateful to capture their beauty at a number of wonderful US locations and share those images with you.

A Cougar

By Kathleen Reeder

Living in the Americas,
Purring like a house cat.
Preferring to live alone,
Except during courtship.

Lord of its surroundings,
Fearing nothing but hunting dogs.
Wandering over vast areas,
Leaping on passing victims.

With a lithe and flexible body,
She’s a sneaky stalker.
With clear yellow eyes,
And needle-sharp claws.

An older woman breaking taboos,
Sharing passion and desires,
With a younger man cub,
And getting what she wants.

A natural beauty in the wild,
Master of the canyon.
Doing what’s necessary,
To survive among us.

Enjoy their magnificence,
Let them live in peace.
Respect their right to be here,
Without our interference.