When Kevin Alexander and his 11-year-old son Blake went fishing on Shasta Lake in California last weekend, they probably expected to see some birds, maybe a water snake, and of course, fish. But when they spotted two mountain lions swimming right by their boat, they couldn’t believe their eyes!
“We see two things in the water that we had never seen before, so we stopped, turned around for a quick second, and next thing you know we see two large mountain lions swimming across the lake,” Dad Kevin told KRCR News. “They weren’t even intimidated by us at all. They swam right past us and swam all the way across to their side, up the embankment.”
The father and son were lucky to get an up-close glimpse at these two majestic creatures, but Kevin made sure they still maintained a safe distance.
“We certainly respect those animals. Even when we got a little bit close, I was asking him to back up because we understand the power of a mountain lion and what they’re capable of,” he said in the news story.
Luckily, the quick-thinking Blake pulled out his camera to capture a video of the swimming big cats.
“I was excited. I really wasn’t scared because mountain lions really can’t get out of the water when they’re swimming in the middle of the lake,” Blake told KRCR News.
In the clip below, you’ll hear Kevin telling his son to “back up” so they don’t disturb the mountain lions. Take a look!
It wasn’t long after posting this rare footage that it went viral. And it’s not surprising – most people probably don’t realize that big cats not only swim, they’re strong and graceful while in the water! Plus, this video is just too beautiful not to share.
Once the mountain lions had reached the shore, they disappeared into the woods. But Kevin and Blake will never forget the unique experience that they were able to share together.
“To see these mountain lions, it’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it was really neat to be able to share that with each other,” said Kevin in the news story.
So cool! Have you ever seen a big cat swim?
(h/t: KRCR News)