Did I See A Mountain Lion In Southeast Boise Last Night?

For the past two nights, as I looked out my window, I saw what I thought was a large cat running down the walking path headed into the Golda Harris Nature Preserve near Harris Ranch in Southeast Boise. The cat slowed down and walked into the preserve. As I looked closer, I thought, maybe it's a bobcat. After looking at pictures online, I now believe it was a small mountain lion.

Some of my co-workers suggested it was a bobcat or a dog, but the pictures don't look like either. One co-worker even thinks that this is just a large house cat.

As a parent of small children, the sight of a mountain lion is a little concerning. While I don't think I would come across it during the day, I now know that the possibility exists, which is frightening. Having never encountered more than a deer near our home, I don't know what I would do or even what I'm supposed to do if I met the mountain lion on my own or with my kids.