Mountain Lions in the News

I am working on an editorial calendar so you can know what to expect here at ArkAnimals.com. However, in the meantime…

I had to let you know that I read an excellent column piece this morning by Gordon Dillow over at the Orange County Register. You’ll have to read the entire piece but here is piece from near the end:

Sadly, according to state Fish and Game officials such false or mistaken reports of mountain lion attacks happen several times a year in California. In fact, they’re more common than actual attacks, the last of which in California occurred in January 2007.

But every reported attack that makes it into the news, even if it’s bogus, causes a spike in reports from people who may have seen a bobcat or a coyote or a feral cat and think they’ve been stalked by a mountain lion. And the resulting climate of fear can be potentially lethal to mountain lions.

This column coincides with the report of a mountain lion wandering down a street shortly before 2am upsetting residents not too far from where I live.

Neighbors reported seeing the same animal with a cub before and have claimed to have seen mountain lion tracks in the street.

Hmm, is the street dirt? And just how do they know they are lion prints?

The big joke in my area was that the cougar print of the local high school was really a dog paw print–and nobody but me seemed to know that (or maybe they didn’t want to point it out) until it made the front page of the local newspaper not too long ago.

Front page–no joke.

People don’t know and false reports are a problem.

My favorite news article to date was the story about the person who mistook a domestic cat for a mountain lion…if I remember right it was someone in law enforcement.

Doesn’t the average person know that there is a big difference between a small cat and a 150 pound lion?!

Forget I asked that.

Hesperia Animal Control is taking the reports but just a reminder–mountain lions live in a variety of habitats especially around here.

If residents stay out of the streets in the wee hours of the morning it should be okay–maybe the cat could help keep down crime. (Kidding, I’m kidding…but it might work!)

Over in Palmdale there was a report of a mountain lion attack on a horse and Fish & Game is investigating.

Should you be worried?

Not really. Just heed all the tips and hints that we all seem to have to repeat over and over again. If you don’t know what those are–I just concluded a whole week dedicated to animal attacks with links to animal attack prevention tips.

Click here for the posts categorized under animal attacks .