Mountain lion sighting reported at Rancho Santa Fe near La Granada - information and tips
About four months after a mountain lion allegedly attacked a Las Colinas woman's dogs, another local mountain lion report has the community on edge.
On Wednesday, Sept. 22, "We had a caller report sighting what he believes is a mountain lion...in the village area near La Granada and Avenida de Acacias," said Tom Lang, Rancho Santa Fe Association president. "This occurred at 3:45 in the morning. The same caller has seen a similar animal in the past in the village area."
While people sometimes see a lot of strange comings and going in the early morning hours, and sometimes bobcats are mistaken for mountain lions, the fact is the mountain lion attack in May adds credence to the report. Nancy Bailey said her German Shepherds Hanz and Franz escaped with broken tails and cuts.
"One looks like it was being chased and it was just a big claw mark," Bailey said. "It's very hard to say that it lives in this canyon or lives around here even."
Living in Mountain Lion Country
These are California Department of Fish and Game tips to prevent deadly conflicts with these beautiful wild animals:
- Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
- Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage from DFG offices.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
- Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats, and other vulnerable animals.
- Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
- Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
California Department of Fish and Game officials said several similar mountain lion attacks on pets had taken place. The lions travel alone and are very territorial, ranging over 30 to 40 miles in the case of females and 100 miles per male. Attacks usually happen in areas with lots of hills and natural features, officials said.
Mountain lions "will avoid humans," Lang said. "One good way to scare them off is to use a party horn (air horn)...The animals prey on deer and coyotes. If people leave food out for pets, that attracts coyotes, and coyotes attract Mountain Lions- and so on.
Fish and Game officials "advise people not to let small children or pets outside unattended" Lang said. "Don’t allow pets outside at dusk and dawn or at night. Don’t leave food out for deer, or other wild animals."
More than half of California is mountain lion habitat. Mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found, Fish and Game officials said.
"Mountain lions prefer deer but, if allowed, they also eat pets and livestock. In extremely rare cases, even people have fallen prey to mountain lions," officials said.
Mountain lions that threaten people are immediately killed. Those that prey on pets or livestock can be killed by a property owner after the required depredation permit is secured. Moving problem mountain lions is not an option. It causes deadly conflicts with other mountain lions already there. Or the relocated mountain lion returns, according to the Department of Fish and Game.
If a resident wants to report a sighting or a problem, they can call the Department of Fish and Game at (858) 467-4257. For general information, call (858) 467-4201.
Also, visit the California Department of Fish and Game site: www.keepmewild.org
