Hikers' encounter with mountain lions prompt temporary park closure

Two brothers hiking in Pescadero Creek Park in San Mateo County had a close encounter of the threatening kind when they came face to face with two aggressive mountain lions, prompting the temporary closure of the park.

The California Department of Fish and Game reports that the men were hiking in the park late Sunday afternoon when one of them was approached by a mountain lion showing aggressive behavior. The man picked up a large stick and started swinging it at the lion while shouting. His brother, who was nearby and heard the shouting, came to his aid and then noticed a second lion approaching.

The mountain lions remained outside the range of the swinging stick, but just a few feet away. Together, the men eventually scared off both animals.

The hikers told DFG wardens that they were confronted for an estimated two to four minutes, which is highly unusual for mountain lions. Thus, the animals were deemed a threat to public safety and the park was closed.

On Monday, with the aid of a professional mountain lion tracker and trained hounds, wardens began their efforts to locate and kill the lions.

By Tuesday afternoon, investigators were confident that the cougars had left the park boundaries, at which point the search was called off, because widening the range at that point may have increased the chance that the wrong mountain lion would be killed.

When asked what might have been the cause of the animals aggressive behavior, DFG warden Patrick Foy told Outposts that he wasn't certain.

"I walked to the exact location where the encounter took place," Foy said. "While I found no deer carcass or evidence of a cache, I did come across a deer skull, so the area may have been heavily frequented by the animals in the past."

"The park was reopened today," added Foy. "There have been no other encounters with the cats, but now everyone is calling in seeing mountain lions."

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A mountain lion on a ledge. Credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

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Comments

[Common Sense]

If Mountain Lions start losing their natural fear of people and start viewing us as potential prey, then yes, we have every right to put them down. If they see us and flee, then no, we shouldn't put them down. Cull the aggressive, sick (rabid) or injured Lions in order to protect humans and non-problematic mountain lions. ie survival of the fittest. Nothing wrong with that being that we are at the top of the food chain.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, before the days of urban sprawl, there were many confirmed attacks on humans by mountain lions. Often led to serious injury and death. Attacks were kept at a minimum by allowing settlers and hunters to cull the more aggressive and/or diseased individuals and maintaining our dominance in nature.

The Mountain Lion numbers in California have never been low, they live in rugged, mountainous terrain and thus always had a large population pool ... even endured a 'bounty' for a better part of the last century.

-A centrist

[Jess]

I can't believe the nerve of those two mountain lions!!(SILENCE) Disturbing those poor hikers like that is just plain rude.(MORE SILENCE) Guess they didn't get the memo wildlife aren't welcomed in here in California.(CRICKETS CHIRPING) Go back to wherever you came from, you no good mountain lions!(TUMBLEWEED ROLLS BY)

[Emily Hay]

Mountain lions should NOT be hunted and killed by trackers and dogs just because they are sighted by hikers. This is ridiculous. IT's a national forest - the whole point of which is to provide a sanctuary for wildlife. Hikers and campers should be well aware of the dangers of crossing paths with wild animals in remote areas and should take steps to avoid confontation and endangering themselves and the animals.

[Marc Twane]

We are encroaching upon their territory...so they exhibit aggressive behavior...

Therefore we should track them and kill them?

Typical stupid human response.