El Paso Man Discovers Wild, Scary Cougar – On His Roof

Mountain lion sightings around El Paso aren't uncommon but this guy thinks he's one of Santa's reindeer.

Mountain lions ... aka pumas, bobcats, ghost cats and wildcats among about 40 other names ... roam the deserts and mountains all over the southwest including El Paso.

They're pretty shy, don't care much for human contact and will typically run off if they encounter humans or other animals, especially dogs.

They prefer to stay in their own environment but the search for food, water or a cool place to chill in the summer heat can bring them into more populated areas. Especially on the west and northeast sides, near the mountain, and far east El Paso.

One showed up near downtown once at, what was then, H & H Car Wash. I guess he heard how awesome the food was there. I miss that place ...

Another one was seen cruising the east side about a year ago.

Another one popped up at the El Paso Zoo once, causing the zoo to temporarily shut down. Not sure if he was trying to turn himself in because he'd gotten sick of hunting food and fighting the heat or if he was just visiting his homies.

Most recently, one showed up on the Butterfield Trail Golf Course while another hopped up onto an east El Paso roof.

"I was lying down, and it just sounded like somebody was running on my roof. I mean, like, I mean, it just sounded like footsteps. And I said, hey, mom, there's somebody on our roof," said Hector Garcia, resident.

"I saw it, I said, oh, that's a cat and then when it turned sideways, I kind of like, oh no," he said. "So, and then after that, I kind of started shaking a little bit, you know, I got nervous, but, you know, it was scary." - KVIA

If you come across a cougar, stay calm, don't approach it and don't run. They love a good chase and they're a lot faster than you.