The Tail End

In December 2023 a female mountain lion appeared on the roadway in Grand Teton National Park. Her behavior was abnormal. She stumbled in the snow, followed cars and crawled underneath them, she walked in circles, all while dragging her tail on the ground behind her. She was severely emaciated with the sharp lines of her pelvis muffled by her thick winter coat. It was clear to onlookers that she was dying. Wildlife biologists darted the big cat and humanely euthanized her along the roadway. Her necropsy later revealed that she has been suffered from avian influenza.