Absolute Silence
I remembered hearing of a backcountry Park Service ranger who was cleaning up after dinner one evening when he heard a chilling scream. He ran out of his cabin in time to see a mountain lion standing with a dead deer next to her. The lion saw the ranger and bounded off. The ranger realized this might be a rare opportunity to closely observe a mountain lion, so he stationed himself a short distance away from the deer carcase. He sat in absolute silence, and listened closely as night deepened. After sitting in darkness for well over an hour, he gave up hope of the lion's returning and stood up. In the powerful beam of his flashlight, he could clearly see that the dead deer was no longer there. ...
Caught in Fading Light: Mountain Lions, Zen Masters, and Wild Nature by Gary Thorp
clipped July 13, 2003
Collection: Natural Science
Absolute Silence
As My Breathing Evened Out
A Mere Bristle on the Hog
A Bump on the Head
Canning the Blueberries
Crayfish Chimney
That's the Point of Emotions: Survival
The Trespasser's Eyeshine
Few genes are required
Five Trillion Spiders
Listening
Messing Up Their Results
Roses
Interior of a Settled Korak Yurt
A Siberian dog signal-howl
We Are Clearly a Species Worth Saving
They do not Intrude on Each Other
Troops Endure Blowing Sands and Mud Rain
Wind on the Gangplank