Question: I read in the paper about a recent fatal mountain lion attack in Washington state. The article said that the two mountain bikers “did everything they were supposed to do” when they saw the lion, but it still attacked. That worries me, because I hike and camp in mountain lion country frequently. What is the best course of action to take in a situation like that? (Kay)
Answer: The mountain lion attack that occurred in Washington was a very unfortunate – and very unusual – incident. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Human/wildlife encounters can be unpredictable and very much situational. There is no single strategy guaranteed to be successful one hundred percent of the time. However, based on research, wildlife managers and scientists have developed general guidelines and best practices that help keep humans safe in lion country and reduce potential injurious or fatal encounters with mountain lions. These best practices include hiking/biking/jogging with others (rather than alone) and avoiding recreational activities in remote areas at dawn and dusk, when lions are most active. If you do encounter an aggressive lion, do not run. Make yourself look larger by opening your jacket or swinging a stick. Make noise. Research on mountain lion attacks suggests that many potential victims have fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, garden tools, even an ink pen or bare hands. Try to stay on your feet. If you are knocked down, try to protect your head and neck.
We emphasize that lion attacks are extremely rare. Please visit our Keep Me Wild webpage, www.wildlife.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion, for detailed safety information.
borntoscout:
Mountain lion and black bear attacks on humans are both rare events. But which is most likely to occur? The statistics available seem to indicate bears, but personal experience says otherwise. in a life time of working and recreating in the woods I have known two friends that have had close encounters with aggressive cats and there have been zero incidents with bears.
crash:
RBark:
I’ve had 0 incidents with cats, 1 with a grizzly, and at least a dozen with black bears.
I wasn’t too worried in any of those cases. Black bears are pushovers. The Grizzly was surprising but he must’ve been full at the time.
Ski Pro 3 -- Jerry:
My experience, having worked over 30 years on the El Dorado Nat'l Forest, is that bears don't intentionally hurt people, just that people get in the way the bear is trying to go. Flee as it were. I once saw a bear in the staging parking lot at the East end of the Rubicon Trail that ran up a tree as I pulled into the lot. I pulled up to the tree and the bear was maybe 20' up. I took a photo and the bear panic, pissed all over itself, hit the ground running and ran straight through a toy hauler trailer. Seriously; hit it broadside, punched through and out the other side. BIG bear! The trailer was between him and his escape route. On the other hand, cats are hunters and eat mostly other animals. Their instinct is to capture what flees from them and to stalk. With the protection of the cats, they are quickly loosing their fear of man. I'm guessing the intent of a cat over the brute strength of a bear is going to make cats a bigger danger as their populations increase.