Cyclists See Animal Perched Atop Cactus — And Can’t Believe Who She Is

It’s common to see owls perched atop cactuses in the Arizona deserts — but last weekend, that spot was taken up by someone much larger.

Friends Philip Houck and Doug Carter were riding their bikes through a hiking trail in Buckeye when they noticed an animal standing on top of a very, very tall saguaro cactus.

It was only when the men got closer that they really turned their heads. It was a bobcat, with all four paws gripped onto the tip of the spiky plant.

They stopped their bikes and snapped a few photos as the nimble cat continued to sit there.

Just when the men thought the big cat might be stranded, she leapt down and ran away.

They were rightfully perplexed by the sight — but it actually happens more often than one would think.

“Every so often, photos of bobcats like this make the rounds in the media,” Susan Bass, communications manager for Big Cat Rescue, told The Dodo. “Bobcats are incredibly resourceful animals. He probably climbed up the cactus to escape a predator.”

A few years ago, another bobcat went viral for that very reason. In hopes of getting a mountain lion off his trail, he took refuge atop one of the prickly plants — and it worked.

A photographer happened to be nearby when it happened, which resulted in some stunning photos of the cat huddled up on top of the huge cactus.

While it’s easy to feel concerned when big cats appear to be stuck, Bass assured people that the animals know exactly what they’re doing.

And despite ending up a little spiky, the cactus escape route works pretty well for them in the long run.

“The important thing to remember is to leave the cat alone and give it space,” Bass said. “It will eventually come down and move on.”