::: COMMUNITY NEWS

California Department of Fish and Game

Mountain lion sighted in RM North

Published Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A mountain lion was sighted in Murieta North over the weekend, Security Chief Greg Remson reported Tuesday. The sighting occurred during the middle of the day on the south side of Fuente De Paz, across the street from Guadalupe Lake.

According to Remson, the resident who saw the mountain lion said it appeared to weigh 60 to 70 pounds, and had a big belly. "His impression was it was pregnant," Remson said. The animal was walking north through the common area.

"We kind of wish he had called right when he saw it so we could observe it to see if it's acting normal … . Fish and Game says they don't really go after humans, that's not their thing, but you never know. So we'd like to know so we can go take a look and try to determine if there's any danger," said Remson.

Mountain lions have been in the news since a man was attacked by one while hiking with his wife in a North Coast state park last week. This week, three sightings prompted a mountain lion alert along the American River Parkway.

Residents are reminded that Rancho Murieta is part of mountain lion country and offers a large supply of the animal's favorite prey -- deer. Every year there are sightings in the community, and it's not the first time they have been reported in the Guadalupe Lake area.

"That's a long-time deer trail through there. Years ago, when we had a lot of mountain lion sightings and deer kills that Fish and Game attributed to mountain lions, there was a kill right in that area," said Remson.

Two years ago, when California Department of Fish and Game biologist and spokesperson Patrick Foy responded to concerns about daytime sightings of mountain lions, he explained that mountain lions are not necessarily nocturnal animals. They are opportunistic predators who hunt when their prey is active.
While deer are usually most active at dawn and dusk, here they can be seen throughout the day.

"The deer in Rancho Murieta are so accustomed to people that they don't hide during the middle of the day. They just don't have any fear," said Foy.

The community has what Foy termed "an overabundance of deer," because "deer thrive off of irrigated landscaping. It's not just in Rancho Murieta. It's in the American River Parkway, it's in the golf courses across the nation."

When you add deliberate feeding to this inadvertent feeding, you get concentrations of deer that attract predators like coyotes, mountain lions and bobcats. "My first bit of advice is to quit feeding the deer," said Foy, and added that it's against the law to feed deer by putting out grain and salt licks.

Fish and Game provides a brochure about living in "lion country" that is available here or at the Community Services District Building. Advice includes deer-proofing landscaping, installing outdoor lighting and keeping pets secure.

Foy recommended several precautions: Don't jog or hike alone and carry a whistle or other noise-maker.

Should you encounter a mountain lion, Fish and Game's advice is not to bend down or crouch, and don't run away. Do everything you can to look larger and remain upright.

Notify Security of mountain lion sightings at 354-CARE or 354-3743.