Mountain lions roam nearly all corners of the western landscape, from the wildest reaches of the backcountry to our own backyards. They're even present in urban areas -- everyone's heard reports of mountain lions showing up in surprising places, like within Los Angelos city limits.

But how much do we know about these big cats? Do these large carnivores pose relatively little risk to humans and our pets? Is the presence of mountain lions something we should worry about? Could Ricky Bobby really drive with a cougar in the car?

In this episode, Hayden's friend Dr. Kristin Engebretsen drops by the studio to share what she's learned in the field and the lab studying these big cats. We talk about:

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Brown Bears of Katmai, Wolves of Yellowstone | Dr. Aidan Beers | Ep. 018: https://youtu.be/f4EldpL9wnk

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Featuring Kristin Engebretsen

“Welcome to the Backcountry” theme song by Logan Roth, Will Brown, Arjun Dube and produced at Treacle Mine Studios, Phila, PA Copyright Outdoor Visions Media LLC, 2025