What to Do When You Encounter a Mountain Lion

Several recent mountain lion sightings, including an incident that resulted in the death of a local resident's dog, has prompted the Sierra Madre Community Emergency Response Team to share a list of safety tips should a person encounter one of these animals.

While seeing one of these creatures may be rare and exciting, the Mountain Lion Foundation reminds everyone to stay back and take the encounter seriously.

The Foundation offers the following tips should you come across a mountain lion:

Make yourself appear as large as possible.

Make yourself appear larger by picking up your children, leashing pets in, and standing close to other adults. Open your jacket. Raise your arms. Wave your raised arms slowly.

Make noise.

Yell, shout, bang your walking stick against a tree. Make any loud sound that cannot be confused by the lion as the sound of prey. Speak slowly, firmly and loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior.

Act like a predator yourself.

Maintain eye contact. Never run past or from a mountain lion. Never bend over or crouch down. Aggressively wave your raised arms, throw stones or branches, all without turning away.

Slowly create distance.

Assess the situation. Consider whether you may be between the lion and its kittens, or between the lion and its prey or cache. Back slowly to a spot that gives the mountain lion a path to get away, never turning away from the animal. Give a mountain lions the time and ability to move away.

Protect yourself.

If attacked, fight back. Protect your neck and throat. People have utilized rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, walking sticks, fanny packs and even bare hands to turn away cougars.

The above tips were shared on the Sierra Madre CERT's facebook page.)

If a resident spots a mountain lion or any suspicious activity, he/she should immediately contact the Sierra Madre Police Department at (626) 355-1414.