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Mountain lion sighting in Monterey
The Monterey County Herald   Herald Staff Report
Article Last Updated: 07/03/2008 01:34:26 PM PDT
Copyright © 2008 - Monterey County Herald

A woman walking near Monterey High School was being followed by a mountain lion as she was walking her dog today, police officers reported.

The woman was walking in Via Paraiso Park in Monterey around 9:40 a.m. when she saw the mountain lion in a gully near the baseball field.

As the woman walked away the mountain lion followed her. Once she reached Hermann Drive and Via Paraiso she ran toward a nearby tool shed.

Witnesses near the park also reported seeing a mountain lion run up Hermann Drive toward Via Del Pinar.

Officers and animal control officers began looking for the animal and knocking on doors to tell neighbors about the sighting.
If You Encounter A Mountain Lion
There’s been very little research on how to avoid mountain lion attacks. But mountain lion attacks that have occurred are being analyzed in the hope that some crucial questions can be answered: Did the victim do something to inadvertently provoke an attack? What should a person who is approached by a mountain lion do— or not do? The following suggestions are based on studies of mountain lion behavior and analysis of attacks by mountain lions, tigers and leopards:
  • Do Not Hike Alone: Go in groups, with adults supervising children.

  • Keep Children Close To You: Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.

  • Do Not Approach a Lion: Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

  • Do Not Run From a Lion: Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don’t panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.

  • Do Not Crouch Down or Bend Over: In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat’s prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a fourlegged prey animal. If you’re in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.

  • Do All You Can To Appear Larger: Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.

  • Fight Back If Attacked: A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.
Immediately Report All Encounters or Attacks: If you are involved in a face-to-face encounter with, or an attack by, a mountain lion, contact the California Department of Fish and Game 24 hour dispatch center at (916) 445-0045. The threat to public safety will be assessed and any appropriate action will be taken. Also report any sightings of dead or injured mountain lions.
Source:    Living With California Mountain Lions   California Department of Fish & Game
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