Another Mountain lion visits a neighborhood, San Mateo

And be aware, as the result of 4th of July fireworks noise and lights, any infrequently seen wild life could visit your neighborhood or favorite trail. 

The Daily Journal/Bay City News Service, 6/29/15.  "Mountain lion seen walking near San Mateo school."

I see you...

Got any deer?

"A mountain lion was seen casually strolling through a residential neighborhood and near an elementary school near the northern border of San Mateo on Friday night, police said. ..... No further sightings have been reported, and police said in all sightings the mountain lion was calm and not behaving aggressively in any way.

Police notified school officials and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and sent out a community alert. In a statement, police said that such sightings have become more frequent due to the drought, which has drawn deer down from the hills into more densely populated neighborhoods. Police noted that mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare, but said they would keep the community informed of sightings.  “First and foremost SMPD will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our community during a potential mountain lion sighting,” the statement said. “But as we have demonstrated in the past, we will also take every reasonable precaution necessary to protect the animal as well.”

....  Residents are warned to avoid feeding deer, since it is illegal in California and can attract mountain lions. Avoid jogging and hiking in wooded areas at dawn, dusk and at night, when mountain lions are most active, and keep a close watch on small children in such areas. Those who encounter a mountain lion should not approach, but should stand their ground, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms. Throw rocks and other objects, and pick up small children, police said."   Read more.

Related article - Los Angeles Times/Geoff Mohan, 4/8/09, "Environmental news from California and beyond"  "Conventional wisdom has it that you should stay, look big and don't run when confronted with a mountain lion on a trail. But some UC Davis researchers are injecting doubt into that dictum...  the carnivorous cats may think you're disabled, disoriented or just too dumb to remain in the gene pool.

The researchers offer a few cases in which beating a hasty retreat is a better idea. ....  "So perhaps the best advice for hikers is to simply rely on their own instincts and act depending on the situation. It might help immensely to carry a sturdy stick and keep pepper spray handy. You might even get creative and hike with your sunglasses on backward, as tiger hunters do in India, to make it seem as though you're facing the beast even while fleeing. The absolute best advice, though, is to hike with others, because that sharply reduces your chances of experiencing an encounter and having to decide how to respond." (Pete Thomas).  Read more.

Note photographs.  Mountain lion in tree at Irvine Regional Park Zoo by Christine Cotter from the related Los Angeles Times article (above).  Young Puma Mountain lion taken by the National Park Service from Lake Forest Limos.

Posted by Kathy Meeh