Glendora's Blog

Be careful of mountain lions as there have been many sightings lately. Last night my mom and I went for a walk around Goddard Middle School and were stopped by a kind older woman. She told us to be careful because just last night when she was walking her dog, she ran into the mountain lion. Although it didn’t attack or hurt her or her dog, it did snarl at them. As we continued on our walk we were cautious the rest of the way home. We had no idea how to deal with a mountain lion if approached by one. So, I figured I’d do some research and find out so we can all know how to prepare ourselves for a possible encounter with a mountain lion.

So as we all try and enjoy the last warm days of summer, lets all be careful. Here are some suggestions to help keep you safe:

1. Never hike alone, bring a pet or a friend along.
2 If hiking with children, keep a keen eye on them as animals tend to have an eye for children.
3. Never approach a mountain lion.
4. Never run away from it as it might simulate the mountain lions natural instinct to chase and attack. Make eye contact and do all you can to make yourself appear bigger, whether its standing taller or opening your jacket up. Throw stones (if you don’t have to bend down to retrieve them) and yell to let the mountain lion know you are in charge.
5. If you are attacked, fight back. Never go into a ball and give up. These animals are known to give up on prey that fight back. Try to stay on your feet as it likes to attack the head and neck. Use anything and everything you can to fight it off whether it a cap, sticks, or even your bare hands. If you are attacked from behind, do your best to throw the mountain lion off your back and face it face to face.
6. If you see a mountain lion, make sure to call the rangers or the police department.

Remember that these attacks are rare and mountain lions tend to avoid confrontations, but they are unpredictable animals.