Family in the Mountains
That day, I was driving on a familiar mountain road when I saw a white mountain lion standing still in the middle of the road. Its eyes were shining, not fierce, just tired and a silent cry for help. I stopped the car. It turned and walked a few meters, then looked back at me. I understood and drove after it.
When the road ended, I got out of the car and continued walking. On the high mountainside, among the cold rocks and the strong wind, I saw its mate. She did not have white fur or silver eyes. At that moment, I realized they were not albino lions. They belonged to a completely new species of mountain lion, quietly existing in the wild, no one had named.
They did not rush, did not show hostility. They just stood still and looked at me, quietly but clearly, as if they trusted me. The next day, I woke up to find a hare lying neatly in front of my door. I knew they had brought that gift.
From that moment on, whenever I went hiking in the forest, they always appeared somewhere around me. They stood on the cliffs, hid behind the trees, or walked slowly behind me. They did not come near me, did not scare me. They just silently protected me.
Not long after, I saw two small creatures step into the light for the first time. Two cubs appeared with soft, shaggy fur and clear eyes. I lived off the grid, without fences, without lights, did not create any danger for them. I did not try to keep them. I did not try to tame them. I only shared a little food and did not disturb their lives.
I do not tell this story to gain trust from others. I just hope that one day, many people will also see the white lion of the forest with their own eyes – not as a legend, but as a real family. Because there are creatures that know how to express gratitude without words, and there are people who are not born in the deep forest, but are still accepted by the mountains and forests.