LIVING IN
MOUNTAIN
LION TERRITORY
Redwood Drive resident
Colleen
O’Mallon was reminded of the challenges of
living in the urban-wildland interface when she came “up close and
personal” with a male mountain lion at
noon on May 29th when she was running with her dog on
Hilltop Drive. While mountain lions (aka
cougars) are generally described as elusive night hunters, this was
an unusual encounter in that the predator was active in the daytime
and seemed confrontational.
O’Mallon heard something
thrashing down the hillside “near some cabins.” She said it was “a
little smaller than a Great Dane” and probably weighed about 150
pounds. She reports that the big cat boldly looked her in the eye,
had its ears back, and went into a crouch as if to spring. “I was
prey,” asserts O’Mallon. “It was very scary.” She
grabbed a stick and brandished it as she and her dog walked away
safely.
A Fish and Game warden who
investigated the incident confirmed that
Fitch
Mountain, with its thriving deer
population, is indeed mountain lion territory, and that people
should be cautious. After a 9-year-old dog was killed by a lion in
an unfenced backyard on
Bailhache Avenue
this March, wardens and other law enforcement officials searched for
the predator for 2 weeks, to no avail. A 1-day tracking effort after
the
Hilltop Drive sighting was similarly
unsuccessful, and apparently no further official action is planned
at this time.
O’Mallon wonders whether one “rogue” lion was the object of
both searches.
In view of the recent sighting, residents and
visitors (attention, owners of vacation rentals!) should take extra
precautions:
Don’t walk/run/hike alone,
especially between dusk and dawn. Keep children within arm’s reach
and dogs on leash. Carry a stick. Be aware that in the daytime the
mountain lion may be hanging out on a tree branch above you. Make
noise so you don’t surprise a lion. And leave those headphones at
home, advises O’Mallon, so one doesn’t surprise
you! (That will allow you to hear the speeding cars on
Fitch Mountain Road also.) Report any
encounters to Fish and Game. The regional office is in
Napa,
(707)
944-5500.
If you do come across a mountain lion, don’t
confront it. Give it a way to escape. Stay calm. DON’T RUN—the
predator may naturally give chase. Stand tall and raise your hands
to look larger. Don’t crouch down or bend over. If you have a small
child with you, pick him up so he won’t panic and run. Holding a
child will make you look bigger, too, which is good. If a lion acts
aggressively, throw things at it—rocks, branches, whatever you can
get without turning your back or bending over. If you are attacked,
fight back (with that walking stick, perhaps). Try to stay on your
feet, and protect your head and neck.
In a habitat like ours, roaming pets are apt to
become part of the food chain. And the
Jack
London
Park website observes, rather
chillingly: “Mountain lions seem to be drawn to children.” As more
and more people discover the delights of living and visiting where
the trees meet the river, we have a responsibility to ourselves and
to our wildlife to be careful.
