A young, possibly weaned, mountain lion roaming a Sylmar neighborhood is causing residents to wonder if the feline might attack a human.
On the night of August 10, Yasmin Lopez's father was walking his pit bull, Gigi, at Oakridge Mobile Home Park when the mountain lion pounced on the dog. Unable to fight it off, he ran to get help. As they approached the attack, a nearby neighbor honked his car horn.scaring the cougar. Gigi is believed to have died instantly, according to a Facebook post.
“Gigi was a happy little girl with my family for the six weeks we had her,” Lopez wrote in a Facebook post“She really brightened my days and was a pleasure to be around.”
On Thursday night, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council addressed residents' fears about the danger posed by a mountain lion aggressive enough to attack a dog tied to its owner.
Council President Kurt Cabrera-Miller said officials had confirmed two sightings at Veterans Memorial Community Regional Park in the previous two days but downplayed the threat to humans.
“This cougar is looking for food or an exit,” Cabrera-Miller said. “But it is not more inclined to attack people.”
Korinna Domingo, director of the Puma Conservation, He told the three dozen attendees at Discovery Charter Preparatory School that mountain lions do not normally attack humans, but they do attack domestic pets, rodents and coyotes.
“There is never zero risk when you live in a mountain lion area, and much of Sylmar is a mountain lion area,” said Domingo, who conducts field research on mountain lions. “We can take steps to minimize the likelihood of having those negative interactions.”
Pet safety was a major concern at the meeting. Cabrera-Miller, who has a Great Dane named Scooby, says her dog would charge at the big cat if given the chance.
“My dog jumps on the TV when he sees horses,” she said. “I would think a cougar is just another dog.”
Domingo said residents can assemble an enclosureThe components of which can be purchased at any home goods store to protect pets from wildlife. Pumas, capable of jumping up to 4.5 metres high, can easily scale common walls and fences.
However, one council member mentioned that Oakridge Motor Home Park does not allow metal enclosures. Domingo says there are other ways to stay protected, such as walking during the day or using a flashlight during night walks, using a standard leash that is six feet or less in length, walking in groups of two or more people, and clapping or making loud noises through an air horn to scare the cat away.
“Be aware of your surroundings, avoid listening to your favorite podcast or the latest album on headphones,” she said. “As an avid recreationist and wildlife biologist working in the field, I often hear animals before I see them, so this is a very important point.”
Owners of pets or livestock that are threatened or killed by mountain lions can obtain a depredation permit to destroy the predator. Domingo said about 100 mountain lions are killed each year in California after incidents involving pets.
City officials say they have not determined whether there are multiple mountain lions in Sylmar. The animals are extremely territorial, according to Domingo.
Males do not usually overlap with other males, but one may coexist with up to three females.
“Depending on where their homes are within their territories and where they overlap, there can be anywhere from two cougars, three or more cougars in their area,” Domingo said. “And that’s why we really emphasize, you know, prevention early on, because there’s likely more than one roaming around Oak Ridge.”
Robert van de Hoek, a retired wildlife biologist, says the cat could be a young male lion recently weaned from its mother and driven away by older males hunting deer in the hills.
“Adult males are very territorial, even with their children,” said Van de Hoek, who grew up in Sylmar.
Their main food source is the large population of deer in the hills around Sylmar homes, said Van de Hoek, who has been conducting deer observations in the area for about 15 years.
“There are deer behind El Cariso Park and LA Mission College, the Lopez Dam and near another county dam further up the Pacoima River,” he said. “And so, the adult male lions are going to maintain that deer population. The younger males are forced to eat and hunt smaller mammals.”
Determining the identity of the lion, or several lions, could take some time. Tagging and collaring is a process that is not well funded, Domingo said.
“He California Department of Fish and Wildlife “They typically don’t have collars on all animals at any given time,” Domingo said. “They are operating with extremely limited resources and are using collars or ear tags that are placed on wild animals like mountain lions.”
Fish and Wildlife Information Officer Tim Daly says the agency attempted to contact Gigi’s owner. “We attempted to contact the pet owner in this situation but were unable to connect,” he said via email. “Generally, when pets are taken by wild animals and are on a leash, we attempt to contact the pet owner via phone or email to provide safety information and hopefully prevent another similar incident. When a pet is unsupervised (not being walked or on a leash), such behavior by wild animals is considered expected behavior.”
If the lion becomes aggressive, the Department of Fish and Wildlife will have to intervene, said Officer Vanessa Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Animal ServicesIn a non-emergency situation, the city can euthanize an animal only if it is injured or sick.
Rodriguez says the agency will continue to monitor the area, looking for lion dens and offering property inspections to determine what elements might be attracting wildlife.
“Our deepest condolences for the family's loss. It is a very unfortunate incident and it can surely be very traumatic for anyone involved,” Rodriguez said.
