Two juvenile mountain lion cubs are presumed to be OK after a tense standoff with five coyotes late Thursday at Wyoming's National Elk Refuge .
The confrontation was witnessed and photographed by Lori Iverson, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife employee. Images posted on the USFWS Flickr page and its Mountain-Prairie Facbook page have gone viral.
The young cats, after finding themselves in the company of unfriendly canines, sought safety by climbing a wooden fence. The encounter occurred at dusk and Iverson, an outdoor recreation planner, was on site only long enough to watch one of the cats scramble down the fence and scurry for cover.
The USFWS posted a description on Saturday: “The encounter ended with one of the mountain lions slowly making its way down the fence, occasionally dropping to the ground where it was met by lunges and yips by the coyotes. The mountain lion responded with hisses and yowls. Eventually, it ran across the creek on the fence and took off running with the five coyotes in pursuit.
"The second mountain lion was still hunkered down in the grass under the fence when the Outdoor Recreation Planner called it a night.”
The cougars were seen Friday, so they made it through their ordeal safely.
As for the whereabouts of their mother, the USFWS posted this statement Monday afternoon:
"The status of the mother is unclear. The juvenile cougars have been spotted several times, but they were never with an adult. This does not automatically mean they are orphaned. It is not uncommon for a female mountain lion to leave her cubs during the day and return to them at night."
If that's the case, what she doesn't know won't worry her.
--Note: A different version of this story was posted earlier Monday on GrindTv.com
