"All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee." Psa. 145:10
African lions do not live in America except in zoos. America's lion is the cougar, which looks similar to an African female lion and is at home in South, Central and North America. It is often called a mountain lion as well as puma, catamount, panther and other names.
A full-grown cougar is about five feet long, plus its three-foot furry tail. It is an example of the Creator's handiwork in its handsome appearance and ability to adapt to a great variety of living places. Some make their homes in mountains and others in forests, swamps, jungles and even in deserts.
Like a huge pussy cat, and purring like one when happy, the cougar has soft, dense fur, usually buff colored but sometimes reddish, silver-gray or even almost black. It has a pretty head with cat-like whiskers, sharp teeth, clear yellow eyes and upright ears. Its lithe and flexible body is supported by strong legs with large padded paws equipped with claws, usually hidden, but coming out as needle-sharp weapons when fighting. The cougar is lord of its surroundings, fearing nothing but hunting dogs, which chase it into a tree top where it is easily shot.
The Creator has given cougars excellent sight and hearing. Their food includes deer, mountain sheep, rabbits, coyotes, birds, rodents and an occasional fish. They avoid humans, but have been known to kill people, probably when desperate for food. Males and females live solitary lives and do not hunt together. Wandering over vast areas, they use rocky ledges for lookouts or hide on a limb over a game trail, leaping down on a passing victim.
In the springtime from one to five little cubs are born and are blind for about ten days. Only a few inches long they are as cute and playful as domestic kittens. Their yellowish fur is decorated with black spots which later disappear. The mother trains them for about a year and then leaves them on their own.
It is sad that the food supply of such a beautiful creature requires the death of others. When the Lord God created the animals all were at peace with each other and He "saw that it was good." But Adam's sin brought death with it, as the Bible verse states: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12))-death not only to man, but to every creature in the world.
But the time is coming (the millennium) when all animals will again live peacefully with each other. Before that time all who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior will be taken to heaven, and God's judgment will fall on those who have refused Him. How important it is to accept Him as your Savior and Lord now, before it is too late. Those taken to heaven will look down on a peaceful world, "wherein dwelleth righteousness." Have you taken this important step of accepting Him as your Savior?