While hiking up Piestewa Peak in Phoenix the other morning, Jacqueline Hurst spotted something moving quietly among the rocks — a flash of motion that instantly caught her attention.
At first, she wasn’t sure what she was seeing. But then, it hit her.
“Then I saw that unmistakable, beautiful tail,” Hurst told The Dodo.
Just a few feet from the trail sat a ringtail — Arizona’s elusive state mammal — nibbling on a piece of fruit beside a patch of shrubs. With its striking, fluffy black-and-white striped tail and wide eyes, the tiny animal looked like something out of a storybook.
Ringtails may resemble cats, but they’re actually members of the raccoon family. Though they’re common in the deserts of the Southwest and northern Mexico, they’re notoriously shy and mostly active at night — making sightings like this one incredibly rare.
“I’ve hiked Piestewa nearly 100 times,” Hurst said. “I’ve only seen a ringtail once before. I really didn’t expect to ever see one again.”
The early morning sun had just started to rise when Hurst stumbled across the adorable animal. She stayed perfectly still, heart pounding, and quietly captured a few photos and videos to remember the moment.
“They’re small, incredibly cute — and very hard to spot,” she said. “Very few people ever get to see one in person.”
While Hurst was thrilled by the encounter, she also had some concerns. Ringtails are naturally wary of humans — but this one was lingering longer than expected.
“Unfortunately, I think this ringtail may have been out past sunrise because hikers are either leaving food behind or feeding them directly,” Hurst explained. “People might think they’re helping, but in reality, it puts these animals at risk.”
Human food can harm wildlife, and regular contact with people can make animals lose their natural fear — which often leads to dangerous outcomes for them.
Eventually, the ringtail disappeared back into the rocks, returning to its hidden daytime retreat. Hurst continued her hike, still glowing from the rare and breathtaking experience.
“It was unforgettable,” she said.
You can follow Jacqueline Hurst on Instagram to see more of her nature sightings and wildlife encounters.
