What do you do if there is a mountain lion on your property? An increasing number of incidents have been reported in recent years. More are likely to be seen as lions follow deer to winter range or simply move to unoccupied habitat adjacent to or overlapping with urban areas or agricultural land. A new housing development on the edge of winter range is a near-perfect setting for these problems.
If You Meet a Mountain Lion
If you encounter a mountain lion on your property, or in the outdoors, information from several western states suggests the following ways to deal with the situation.
- Do not approach a mountain lion. Most lions will try to avoid a confrontation so give them an escape route. A loud voice, banging pans together, or a single shot fired in the air will usually convince a mountain lion to run.
- Do not run from a mountain lion. Running may stimulate its instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Try to make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up or gather them near you so they don't panic and run. Try to do this without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.
- Do all you can to appear large and aggressive. Raise your arms, open your jacket, throw rocks or other objects but avoid crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak in a firm, loud voice.
- Fight back if attacked. When attacking, lions target the head or neck, so try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. Use rocks, sticks, jackets, garden tools, camping gear or anything else available to fend off the attack.
Backyard Tips
- Don't feed wild animals. By feeding deer, raccoons or other mammals in your yard, you may attract mountain lions, which prey on them as a food source.
- Landscape with care. Planting trees and shrubs that attract deer may also attract mountain lions. Make it difficult for mountain lions to approach your yard unseen by removing dense or low-lying vegetation, especially around walkways and children's play areas.
- Install outdoor lighting with motion detectors that will come on automatically if an animal enters the yard. Keep the perimeter of your house well lighted at night.
- Keep pets secure. Bring pets inside or keep them in a kennel with a secure top if there is a mountain lion in the vicinity. Do not feed pets outside as this can attract mountain lions.
- Educate children. Teach children what to do if they encounter a mountain lion.
- Keep livestock secure. Where practical, keep livestock in enclosed sheds and barns at night, and be sure to secure all outbuildings, especially during calving and lambing times.
According to deputy director of Fish and Game Al Van Vooren, "simply seeing a mountain lion does not mean there is a problem or a threat. If it shows up and moves on, forget it. If you live in an urban area or other location where lions are not normally seen, report the sighting to the regional Fish and Game office. If it comes back repeatedly, becomes bold enough to eat the dog food off your deck, acts aggressively or perches in a backyard tree, call Fish and Game immediately. This is what is called a nuisance lion, and Fish and Game may remove the lion or take other action."
Fish and Game laws and rules support protection of both yourself and your property from imminent danger. This applies if a lion has attacked or if there is imminent threat of attack. In other words, if the lion is attacking or chasing livestock, people or pets. State law extends that authority from livestock owners to their employees and agents. In this case no permit is needed, but if the lion is killed, it must be reported to Fish and Game.
A memorandum of understanding exists between Fish and Game and the U. S. Department of Agriculture Ñ Wildlife Services, which is the lead agency when livestock depredation occurs and will investigate claims for reimbursement of loss by owners of cattle and sheep. Wildlife Services also can handle the nuisance lion situations.
