DENVER (KDVR) — One of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife cameras caught a mountain lion in his natural element as though he knew where the camera was placed.

A large male mountain lion was caught on a nature camera walking through the falling snow in the dark. CPW Ranger Tiffany McCauley, who posted the videos, said the lion had been out hunting.

In another video, the lion eerily looks directly into the camera, as if he knows it’s recording him.

“He seems interested in the scent of a female, who passed the morning before,” McCauley said in a tweet with the videos.

Living among mountain lions

CPW says mountain lions rarely attack people and few people actually encounter them in the wild. However, close calls have increased over the years for several reasons and the department offers these guidelines in case you run into one:

• Go in groups when you walk or hike in mountain lion country, and make plenty of noise to reduce your chances of surprising a lion. A sturdy walking stick is a good idea; it can be used to ward off a lion. Make sure children are close to you and within your sight at all times. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one.
• Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
• Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly and firmly to it. Move slowly.
• Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.
• Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you’re wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won’t panic and run.
• If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. What you want to do is convince the lion you are not prey and that you may in fact be a danger to the lion.
• Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and their bare hands successfully. Remain standing or try to get back up!

Mountain lions are generally calm, quiet and elusive, according to CPW. They tend to live in remote, primitive country with plentiful deer and adequate cover.