Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Cougars in The Canyon

Multiple sightings and encounters with mountain lions on Altadena Foothills area:


March 31, Monday morning before dawn a heavy animal, possible cougar, ran across a roof of home located in 3600 block on Leilani Way in Altadena.

March 30th, near dawn a large cougar attacked a large German Shepherd dog in the Millard Campground Canyon area. In addition a possible second cougar was spotted on the roof of the same cabin. The dog was saved by its thick fur and the intervention of the owner. California Dept. of Fish & Game officer was called by the USFS.


March 29th, 6:15am Saturday morning. Sighting of a 60 lb. animal with a long tail that ran across Lincoln Ave. and into the brush between Loma Alta Park and the debris basin. The profile was pretty clearly feline.

The cats tend to be active at dawn, dusk, and at night, when they roam their home area search of prey.


According to the Department of Fish & Game, one of the most important tips is: do not go into mountain lion territory by yourself. Go with a friend or bring a dog. Always take a friend with you when you camp, hike or backpack in wild areas.

Even when lions are encountered, they rarely pose a threat. Most cougars prefer to avoid human beings.


More safety tips:
http://www.mountainlion.org/facts_safety.asp

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