She lay in the duff at the base of a fir, about 30 yards downhill, and probably had been watching me for a while. I'm big, weird, and I'm outta here. I had moved only a few feet when I was startled to see the cougar's two yearling cubs, almost as big as she, bedded shoulder to shoulder near a tree just below the mother. Their postures repeated her questions, and I kept up my body reply until I'd backed over the ridge and out of sight. The exchange was short, civil, and one of the most exciting I have ever had.
All animals use it.
A flick of the tongue, a slightly lowered head, a sideways turn of the body-various movements can communicate everything from gender to age to social status. More important, animals' lives often depend on gestures. They indicate where to find food, warn others of impending danger, or remind them who is the leader. Wild-life give directions and indicate to one another when they are mad or glad or relaxed or hurt or feeling sexy. In short, animals organize and run their private and social lives through all kinds of subtle and overt mannerisms.