In California, where there are deer and open space/wilderness, there are mountain lions.
In California, where there are deer and open space/wilderness, there are mountain lions.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I work near where the attack occurred, and have hiked in that area..
There is a lot of open space...and lots of wildlife.
Deer, wild turkeys, jackrabbits, cottontails, coyotes, etc.
I saw a long-tailed weasel once...rare to see.
Not surprising that there are mountain lions, with so many choices on the menu.
I used to live in Los Gatos - and the cats referred to were Mountain Lions. I remember a few years back that there was a lion sleeping in a tree in a neighborhood near Stanford that was shot by police. I also remember a student at UC Santa Cruz being chased (or attacked) by one.
Been in Tucson for almost 15 years now in the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains just north of town and while I've never (yet) seen a mountain lion around the house I have seen a few mule deer, so I wouldn't be surprised if the lions were here as well - in fact I'd be surprised if they weren't. We have a friend near the mountains on the west side of town and she says that she's heard them walking around on her roof.
Everyone was infuriated when that cat was unnecessarily shot. Now they're routinely tranquilizer darted, radio-collared, and relocated to remoter areas. One was even captured napping on someone's back porch near the Presidio in SF. Kittens have been captured in basement crawl spaces. I haven't heard of anyone being chased on campus, but a half-grown young male lion did chase and maul a trail biker in the hills east of Sacramento last yr. Most problems seem to be with young inexperienced males seeking fresh territory, but actual human interaction is extremely rare. About 20 yrs ago a cat was blamed for killing a jogger on a trail outside Sacramento, but it turned out to actually be a homicide which the cat checked out, leaving prints around.
I saw a mountain lion once in British Columbia. Certainly a majestic creature.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Most actual fatalities in North America have occurred on Vancouver Island, BC along a major trail. But even there, the statistical odds of an interaction with a cat are very very low. Two joggers were killed outside Denver in two separate events by the same cat - a released young pet male who didn't know how to fend for itself, seems about 20 yrs ago also. In the entire recorded history of Calif, here where mtn lions are very common state-wide, all the documented fatalities could be counted on less than ten fingers. With pit bull dogs running around, plus gangbangers, the woods seems a lot safer. That cat who mauled a biker last yr weighed only 80 lbs. I've seen up close tomcats in the 250lb range, but the moment they discovered I was watching them, they took off fast. Actually, it was me and an older friend who was a wildlife official; we had a strategy for getting close to cats with no hounds. Both of us were armed for sake of common sense, but never needed to use a gun.
Drew, did mountain lions figure into any California native american lore? I've heard legends about plenty of different animals, but I don't recollect hearing any about mountain lions, or painted images of them either here, in CA?
I figure if anyone would know, you would.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Jim Andrada's comment about "Los Gatos" reminds me that there are plenty of mountain lions in the Santa Catalina mountains, which are the northern border of Tucson. They live in the east-side Rincon Mountains as well; I don't go into either without remembering that "you won't see them, but they'll see you".
Good question, John. Although the native peoples were obviously very acquainted with mtn lions, they were such secretive animals that they never seem to have factored much into the legends or rituals of the Miwok, Mono, or Yokuts. Grizzly bears were emblems of ferocity, and there was a bear dance which included wearing the hide of a grizzly plus either real or faux soapstone claws held between knuckles. So grizzlies were sometimes hunted. Coyotes factored in the legends of many Calif tribes as the "Trickster" who upset the original world order, and was otherwise engaged in a career of perpetual deception. Turtles had a prominent place in mythology. Deer, antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep were of course important food sources, and all but antelope were lion prey as well. But's it's always amazed me how little attention the Indians paid to mtn lions, which were more like ghosts that momentarily appeared and then disappeared.
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