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Pete Gavin: Mountain Lion

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For Pete Gavin, an encounter with a mountain lion is a breathless moment with a magnificent animal.

All my life I have wanted to see a mountain lion in the wild. Last night my wish was granted.

I was driving home after work. It was around 6:00 PM, December dark. Highway 12, just north of Kenwood. Up ahead, just off the pavement, beside the vineyards, I see a dark figure with a sloped back and a long tail. Immediately, I slow down, and my headlights reveal a big cat. Black lines around the eyes and whiskers, yellow-green eyes looking straight through me. Time freezes. I see this magnificent creature so clearly. A split-second now imprinted in my mind.

I pull over, afraid for this beautiful beast as cars whiz by in both directions. I dial 911. I need to do whatever I can to prevent a tragedy. I am put on hold; half a minute later, a dispatcher picks up. “911, what’s your emergency?” she says.

“There’s a mountain lion trying to cross Highway 12,” I sputter. “I am fearful he will be hit by a car.” I give her my exact location. She asks my name and tells me an officer will check it out. I thank her, my heart beating fast. I look in the mirror, roll down the windows, turn my head. The lion is gone. Did it cross? Did it return to the vineyard?

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And instantly I realize my desperate plea to 911 means nothing. The lion is going to do what it is going to do, and no police officer can possibly help. He…she has probably crossed Highway 12 before, most likely many times. And again, I see those eyes in my mind. Keenly aware of the traffic and when to cross — or not cross — to get to the other side.

Who am I to think I can interfere with this?

With a Perspective, I’m Pete Gavin.

Pete Gavin is a retired teacher of English

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