2008 | Page 65

Another Cranky Mountain Lion

Above: This is the best way to see a cranky mountain lion…no risk.

Yikes, it seems like there is more animal attacks and incidents going on out there than I expected…and I haven’t even talked about shark attacks!

Cougars are in the news again and just how true some of them are is left to your imagination. Take the issue of Kevin Lassite the hiker who claimed to pet wild cougar cubs when he was stopped by the mad mama mountain lion–who rightly took a swipe at him.

Do you wonder why they have the Darwin Awards?

Anyway, officials are not buying the claim about the cougar incident but as usual we shall have to see how this plays out if it is a false claim of a mountain lion incident Kevin Lassite will be prosecuted.

There was another suspicious cougar incident in Palo Alto last month but they decided not to prosecute. (Here is the original article on the Palo Alto cougar attack.)

BTW: This sign is near the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park where the cougar cubs and their mom incident allegedly took place.

A scratch is not an attack–a warning maybe.

The Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is also where Anne Hjelle was attacked by a mountain lion.

Over in Colorado the cougars seem to be a problem this week. This puma (another name for mountain lion) killed a deer in a suburban driveway.

I just hate when they get possessive over their prey.

The cool thing is that they live trapped that mountain lion and have the mountain lion video on YouTube–don’t fret the animal is tranquilized.

In Wyoming the Game & Fish Department guys didn’t have much luck catching the cougar they darted. Hopefully the cat recovered and will stay away from the more urban areas based on the experience.

Now some of you know that I live in an area where we have a part-time urban cougar. Usually the mountain lion moves in closer in September–read my mountain lion musings and eight cougar safety tips here.

Now back to the bears…there was another black bear attack–this time in Coquitlam, British Columbia. The woman was gardening when she was attacked.

Neighbors came to her aid and everyone was pretty lucky considering…here is an update with photos and videos of the black bear involved in the attack.

What I find disturbing is that the people didn’t think that the bear was a threat. They seem to ignore the fact that it is a wild animal–and a large one.

One of the things that attracts wild animals to urban areas are the resources–food and water–both of which were available in this instance.

In my area people complain about the bears coming down to their yards and getting in their trash but they continue to leave those resources out.

So, after reading the animal attack posts this week I am curious to learn what questions or comments you may have. Please take a moment to leave them below.

Blog Posted August 7, 2008 at 8:30 am

Mountain Lion Attacks In Colorado & California Cougar Incident

Funny, I was just writing about animal attacks this week when I found this story about the cougar that entered a home in Colorado and grabbed a sleeping pet.

Wild animals are getting habituated to humans due to all the encounters and close proximity to people as we continue to encroach and trespass into their limited habitats.

Just a few weeks ago two other cougars were causing problems in Durango–including one cat that attempted to attack a boy driving a mower–the cat missed.

I’ve heard an interview where one of the lion dog guys (guys that track mountain lions with dogs) mentioned that many of the incidents with mountain lions involve younger animals.

Is this true? I need to find that source…but I believe it might be since younger animals leave their mom to go out on their own and then get run out of established territories by dominant animals.

Also, humans provide a lot of resources when they live in close proximity to lion country–like cougar snacks (dog, cats). Many attract wildlife by feeding prey animals near their homes and also supply water–then are surprised when the predators follow.

Is there anything you can do to avoid animal attacks?

First, if you are out in the wilderness, adjacent to it, or hear about a predator in the area–follow the suggestions put out by authorities–and find out if there is risk in the area you are visiting.

It amazes me how many people are surprised to find a bear or other animals in their yard when they feed wildlife, keep pet food and water sources just outside their doors, or place trash outside a day before pickup.

I have a screen door with an iron grid so that I can leave my door open and get air–this has proved valuable when the raccoons and coyotes use my deck. So far I haven’t had any larger visitors.

Also, people need to leave wildlife alone and to be aware that most animals are highly active at dawn or dusk and at night.

A bit of common sense might help to avoid meandering into a predator at times when they are most active.

Now there is always the bad luck factor–being in the wrong place at the wrong time but using common sense and taking precautions helps mitigate that.

Today there was a poor example custom made for this post–a hiker who lacked common sense took liberties by petting a cougar cub and then got attacked by a mad mother lion. Now the protective mother cougar may loose her life over human stupidity–her three cubs may be orphaned.

If she wanted to kill the person–why didn’t she? She wanted the person to leave her cubs alone–also she needs to live to take care of the small critters.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there was the woman who used her common sense and a machete to thwart off a mountain lion attack.

I’ve been talking about animal attacks all week over at Ark Animals but you can find my past comments on how to avoid cougar attacks here.

Blog Posted August 6, 2008 at 12:27 pm