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SPECIAL HAPPENINGS The Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge The Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge is a 100-mile event of 10,000 vertical feet, with hills as fierce as its mountain lion logo and cash prizes for the top male and female climbers. The alternate 100-kilometer ride features 8,000 feet of climbing. Both rides begin at 6:30-8 a.m. Saturday, July 25 at Scotts Valley High School. Cost is $45 before July 10, $55 after. No same day registration. Here is what the ride’s signature mountain lion says about his home terrain. By Felis Concolor
Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther...I am known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call me, I am still the largest of the small cat species. So, how did I get so many names? Mostly because I have such a large range, and people from different countries have called me different names. Early Spanish explorers to North and South America called me leon (lion) and gato monte (cat of the mountain), from which I got the name “mountain lion.” Puma is the name the Incas gave me. Cougar seems to have come from an old South American Indian word, cuguacuarana, which was shortened to cuguar. And panther is a general term for my brothers and sisters that have solid-colored coats, so it was used for pumas as well as black jaguars. Scientists usually use the name puma. I tend to have a powerful build, with large paws, sharp claws, and hind legs that are larger and more muscular than my front legs, giving me great jumping power. You humans call it buffed. I can also run fast, and my flexible spine helps me maneuver around obstacles and change direction quickly. Even so, I am mostly an ambush hunter. I like a variety of prey depending on where I am roaming, including deer, pigs, capybaras, raccoons, armadillos, hares and squirrels. I have been known to bring down animals as big as an elk or a moose. Very tasty, I must say! As more people have moved into my territory, the number of human encounters has increased. This frightens people. But overall, meeting me is unlikely. We don’t want to confront humans, and you do not taste very good. You can avoid us, too, by not hiking alone, or at dusk or dawn, when we are hunting. Make noise as you hike, and don’t leave food out, especially at night. If you encounter me, never approach me—always give me a way to escape. Some people have considered mountain lions a pest and shot us on sight, or they trap or poison us. That’s one of the reasons we have become scarce across North America. It’s important to remember that we have an essential role to play in the ecosystem. We are one of the top predators, and, without us, deer and other animals have become too numerous for their habitat. Your cars kill more deer than I do. But people like to live and play in or near wild places, so we need to understand and respect the wildlife that also live there - me. If people would take responsibility for their actions, we can learn to live together. (Note: For details on the Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge, go to (http://www.santacruzcycling.org/scmc/index.shtml). |
Since I have been selected as the logo of this year's event, I thought I would introduce myself. I am Felis Concolor, a mountain lion, and the official logo of the 11th annual Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge, a bicycle event as fierce as my reputation! Santa Cruz artist Steve Hosmer has depicted me in my natural habitat at my favorite time of day…oops, I mean night.