A mountain lion was sighted at 4:30pm today in the area of Bernal Ave at Ocean Ave in Moss Beach. If you see a mountain lion, contact the Sheriff’ at 911. or Sgt. R. Johnson at Moss Beach substation 573-2844.
A neighbor told Coastsider that there was an alleged sighting on Airport a few weeks ago.
Good question. I don’t know what the procedure is, nor do I know what should be done.
Any ideas what can be done with mountain lions that start hanging out in populated areas?
It’s my understanding that a mountain lion was sighted in the quarry in Pacifica last year. Seems like an equally improbable location: no prey, no cover, across a highway, in a populated area.
I’m not a cougar expert by any stretch of the imagination, but from my limited understanding of their behavior my guess is a) transient adolescent and b) loss of habitat (human encroachment).
You can deter them from your property with motion-sensitive lights and not feeding your pets outside (or taking the food in at night) and keeping your trash in your garage until garbage day. Keep your pets in at night. Keep small kids in at night, too (which should go without saying but you never know).
But unfortunately, cougars who begin frequenting developed areas are likely to be destroyed. In other states, anyway. Perhaps California has more protective laws.
I’m hoping it was a bobcat. :)
Darin Boville says that it could be a bobcat that he filmed in the same area recently:
<http://www.montarafog.com/On-the-Coast/video-bobcat-on-the-midcoast.html>
Another reader notes that:
If you call 911 from a cell phone, you are routed to CHP in Richmond and they won’t know what your jurisdiction is, not to mention there is quite often a backlog of calls. if you are in san mateo county, it is quicker from a cell phone to call 363-4000 and explain it is a 911 call from a cell phone and be prepared to give location. the dispatch can then handle the call appropriately.
Bobcats are a lot smaller than cougars; it would be more likely to confuse a dog for a lion.
I had heard the rumors about a mountain lion in the same area about a month ago. I’d like to know if anyone knows the procedure if one is confirmed.
Calling 911 for a mountain lion sighting? That hardly sounds like an emergency to me unless one is being actively stalked in which case I would advocate throwing your cell phone at the lion, make yourself look as big as you can and no running.
> b) loss of habitat (human encroachment).
Given the flurry of mass development here on the coast, the Serramonte del Moss Beach if you will, we’ve pushed the wildlife down to the shoreline…. It must be human-influenced.
I’m sure Carl will correct me here, TIA Carl,
But it’s actually:
Serramonte del Boca Harbor Vista by the Pines at Oceanshore Links.
8o)
“Bobcats are a lot smaller than cougars; it would be more likely to confuse a dog for a lion.”
Two things: for people who aren’t familiar with wildlife, a wild cat the size of a bobcat might be big (and surprising) enough for them to assume cougar. Also, there’s the element of “tall fish tale”. You know… someone sees something that looks like a large cat, and by the next morning it’s turned into a man-eating tiger.
“That hardly sounds like an emergency to me unless one is being actively stalked in which case I would advocate throwing your cell phone at the lion, make yourself look as big as you can and no running.”
Yup. But nope. Unless the cougar moves on, it will get moved.
“Given the flurry of mass development here on the coast, the Serramonte del Moss Beach if you will, we’ve pushed the wildlife down to the shoreline…. It must be human-influenced.”
Ha ha ha ha ha…. The range required to support even a small number of adult cougars, and how far they need to travel, extends beyond (believe it or not! there’s a world out there!) just this immediate, bizarre little microcosm of pro/anti development infighting “here on the coast”. But do continue. Dear god, please do. You’ve no idea how entertaining this stuff is for the people who read my missives to civilization.
Sorry to hear about your TIA, Jim. You have had a doctor check your blood pressure, I assume. When you have one of those things, lie down flat, and you’ll usually come out of it faster.
Staying in Literalville, my circuits are polluted with “Serramonte del Rey” in Daly City. What does that mean in Tagalog?
There is at least one huge bobcat that can be seen now and then in the fields up the Purissima. So big that a friend who first caught a glimpse of it at a distance from a moving car thought it might be a small mountain lion. But, no, upon investigation with binocs, and the chance of there being a lynx around here is probably less than nil. The bobcats that are seen on the lower ridges of Montara Mountain are smaller. There are good reports of mountain lion sightings just east of the fields across the highway from the airport, so a transient lion out on the bluff wouldn’t be much of a stretch.
Perhaps the animals smell garbage when its trash day. I know in my neighborhood, the raccoons are visible the night before and over turn many garbage cans that are left outside. Putting trash out early in the morning might minimize the problem.
I think its a gross exaggeration to say that their habitat is being reduced by the “gross flurry of development on the Coast”. All the building, especially on the mid-coast, are infill lots. Over the past 2 years a grand total of 30 buildable lots sold. And don’t forget that it takes almost 2 years now for a vacant lot to be turned into a home. That’s also way below the growth limits set by both the City of HMB and the County.
Yesterday,Jan 13,08, i was by a sheriffs scanner and heard about another Mountain lion Sighting, I didn t catch the rest, but it was either 5:30 am or pm. Maybe HMBREVIEW can do a follow up. After all we should be imforned of these sightings. so we can take extra precautions without mass hysteria.
Nancy Cuevas
If we notify the sheriff they will track and shoot the lion; correct?
That seems to be what happens elsewhere on the Pennisula