Guess the protagonist...

I'm not sure how this is going to work out,,, but I remember this drill I had to do as a part of a high-school creative writing class... It's kinda like literary charades. I'll write a couple paragraphs in third-person, and you guess who (or what) the protagonist is from context clues.. Okay,, here goes:

He lazily opens his eyes to the brightness of the afternoon sun. The overhanging rock above and to the side provides relief from the heat and glare of the sun. A big yawn exposes the full length of his teeth, but only for an instant does this noble animal look as ferocious as it's typically portrayed. Back to a lazy and completely docile state, he peers through half-closed eyes at the sprawling landscape below. This is a good spot. The rock ledge provides protection from the elements, shade during some parts of the day, warming sun during other parts of the day--but most importantly, it's high above the popular hiking trails down in the valleys below. Over the years it's become increasingly difficult to avoid contact with humans. A source of comfort and continual security abounds in his den--almost as though it was chiseled out the of the rocky mountainside just for him.

From his favorite sleeping rock, he can feel the heat of the morning sun helping to shake the chill of a mountain night. Then, without even moving, he is engulfed by the shadow of the mountainside on or about mid-afternoon. Sleeping is typically the order of the day. There's simply too many people and not enough reason to be out and about while the sun is up.

Evening comes to the mountainside, and he makes his way off the sleeping rock and over to the rock ledge facing the East. Still shaking the sleep from a long day of napping, he yawns one last time and follows it up with a big stretch. First, he stretches the tight sinewy muscles of his front legs by rocking back on his rear haunches and keeps his front legs extended in front. His claws extend slightly to grip the soft earth in front of him. Then, upon completion of the stretch, they simultaneously retract as he returns to a comfortable sitting position.

Feeling the typical aches and pains associated with years of strenuous activity, he decides to walk the trail that switches back down the mountainside. In the first few steps he sort of drags a rear paw--first the right, then the left. This helps to alleviate the tightness in his hind quarters.

Feeling stretched and refreshed from an uneventful day of sleep, he slinks down the trail toward the meadow. The sun is setting, and at many times past this would be the perfect time to catch an unsuspecting deer munching the tall grass of the meadow. Poor game management and habitat loss have contributed to the decline of deer populations. Nonetheless, an adult deer would provide a week or more worth of food, so he decides to creep (as he does most every day) up to the edge of the meadow.

With his belly only inches from the ground, he perks his ears up and continues the slow but deliberate crawl into the meadow....

Can you guess the protagonist?