Squeaks the mountain lion travels 558 miles to get to national park. How did he do it?

An ambitious mountain lion walked more than 550 miles to visit a national park, New Mexico officials said.

The mountain lion, known as Squeaks, left for his adventure in early July, officials at the Pueblo of Santa Ana Department of Natural Resources said. He is a sub-adult male who is GPS-collared, so officials could see every stop Squeaks made.

He left Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and traveled at least 558 miles to end up at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, according to the department. He made thousands of stops along the way, officials said.

“Soon after entering Colorado, he spent some time along the Florida River south of Durango, Colorado,” the Department of Natural Resources said. “He made several attempts to move northward from the Florida, but would turn back south after running into large expanses of open agricultural fields and low-density development.”

The mountain lion also tried to go west but turned back once he ran into highway. On Sept. 28, however, he crossed the highway under a bridge and was able to continue westward, according to the department.

“To date, his GPS collar has collected 2,925 locations,” officials said. “We’re still not sure if Mesa Verde National Park will become his new home, but if it does, at least we know he has good taste in real estate.”

Mesa Verde National Park is about 52,000 acres for Squeaks to roam. It’s rare to spot a mountain lion within the park, according to the National Park Service.

This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Squeaks the mountain lion travels 558 miles to get to national park. How did he do it?."