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Notes From Mountain Lion Meeting
The following are the notes from the Oct. 21, 2008 mountain lion meeting in Woodside sent from George Offen:
- There've been only 16 verified attacks by Mtn Lions on humans in California since the State began tracking in 1890.
- 80% of the reported sightings are erroneous -- bobcats, golden retrievers, other animals
- The guy from Fish & Game has been working in the woods for 18 years and has never seen a lion -- tracks, scat, old prey, but not the lion.
- It was implied that there have been no serious attacks on horses; maybe only one and that just left claw marks on the hindquarters
- The most dangerous times are dawn and dusk; the most dangerous situations are people walking alone or children
- If you encounter a Mtn Lion, try to give it space to leave; they don't want anything to do with us. Similarly, if you see dead prey, stay away from it so a lion doesn't think your taking its food -- and report this to the responsible authorities -- Park Service or Fish and Game during the day, Sheriff after hours (they have a specialist)
- If attacked, people should fight back -- face them squarely, hit them, best if can do with sticks or stones, but even clothing has been helpful or a pen pushed at their eye.
Re: local housekeeping, they urged people to avoid situations that attract deer, because deer attract Mtn Lions (their primary food source). A suggestion is to enclose pasture with deer-proof fencing so they could not get to horses' food and should, therefore, leave for greener pastures. Another precaution, would be to make sure the hay shed door is always closed so the deer don't try to get into it and not feed any stray cats. Finally, we could clear thick brush in pastures so that lions don't have cover as they approach a pasture.
Link to an excellent web page on What to do if you see a Mountain Lion
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