Crime & Safety

Mountain Lion Sightings Prompt Police Alert

UC Berkeley police reported mountain lion sightings in the Berkeley Hills since December and issued advice on how reduce the risk of encountering a mountain lion and how to respond if you do meet one.

UC Berkeley police issued safety alerts this week following reports of a mountain lion seen at a campus housing complex Tuesday and of two mountain lions last month at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The alerts on Thursday and Wednesday, which can be found on the campus police Facebook page, reported an unverified sighting of a cougar just after 10 p.m. Tuesday on top of a dumpster at the Smyth-Fernwald apartment complex, which is located in the Berkeley hills near the top of Dwight Way northeast of the Clark Kerr campus.

Last month, there was an unverified sighting of two mountain lions running along Lawrence Road toward Glaser Road at Berkeley lab, which lies in hilly terrain directly east of the main Cal campus, police said.

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In 2011, there were several mountain lion sightings in the Berkeley Hills above the UC Berkeley campus, according to police, and carcasses of animals suspected to have been attacked by mountain lions were also discovered.

Mountain lions were reported also in and around El Cerrito last year. In July, El Cerrito police issued a warning after a deer injured by a mountain lion was found in 5800 block of Charles Street in the northern part of the city. Also in July, an El Cerrito couple reported encountering a mountain lion in Wildcat Canyon a little over half a mile from the city border.

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UC police issued the following safety advice to reduce the chances of encountering a mountain lion:

•  Avoid hiking alone, especially between dusk and dawn, when lions
normally do their hunting. Make plenty of noise while you hike so as to
reduce the chances of surprising a lion.

•  Always keep children in sight while hiking and within arm's reach in
areas that can conceal a lion. Mountain Lions seem to be drawn to
children.

•  Hike with a good walking stick; this can be useful in warding off a lion.

To reduce the chances of an attack when encountering a mountain lion:

•  Do not approach a lion, especially if it is feeding or with its young.
Most lions will avoid confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

•  Stay calm and face the lion. Do not run because this may trigger the
lion's instinct to attack. Try to appear larger by raising your hands.

•  Pick up small children so they don't panic and run. This will also make
you appear larger. Avoid bending over or crouching.

•  If the lion acts aggressively, throw rocks, branches, or whatever can
be obtained without turning your back or bending over.

•  Fight back if attacked. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the
head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. People
have successfully fought back with rocks, sticks, or bare hands.

For email alerts on future articles on mountain lion sightings, click the "Keep me posted!" button below the article. For past stories on this topic, visit out topic page, "Mountain Lion Sightings."


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