SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, Calif. — WARNING: Some may find above video disturbing.
Residents living in a California neighborhood have reported multiple pet killings by a mountain lion that is currently roaming the area. Those residing in the vicinity are expressing concerns over the limited options available to deter the cougar, shedding light on a growing conflict regarding the management of such predators.
A home security camera recently captured the mountain lion walking away with a cat in its jaws in a Santa Cruz Mountains neighborhood.
Sharing a video on Facebook, a woman revealed that the mountain lion has been spotted on or near her property repeatedly over the past two weeks, sometimes making multiple appearances in a single night.
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Edgar Guzman lives in the area, and, after ABC San Francisco affiliate KGO showed him the Ring video, he said he’s concerned.
“Yeah, because I have a little dog; he’s like a cat,” Guzman said.
ABC7 spoke with Quinton Martins, the principal investigator for Living with Lions.
He said it’s important to understand if you’re living in an area with predators, you should understand them.
“For example, to know that a mountain lion could jump 15 feet high,” Martins said.
Martins pointed out that the primary prey for mountain lions is deer. However, in the absence of proper enclosures for livestock or domestic animals, these predators will naturally exhibit their carnivorous behavior.
“Unless you protect your animals, they’re going to be targeted,” Martins said.
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In a move to protect the state’s mountain lions, in 2020 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife expanded what’s called their depredation policy. It prioritizes non-lethal measures to resolve conflicts with mountain lions.
“From a biologist point of view and conservationist point of view, yeah I’d say yes we have seen a significant drop in lion mortalities,” Martins said. “I would imagine that some landowners feel that they have their hands tied.”
Martins said trying to remove a mountain lion from your property is rarely the solution.
“If you’re living in an area where you have predators, and you remove the predator, but you don’t fix the problem, another predator is just going to move in and take its place,” Martins said.
Josh Rosenau with the Mountain Lion Foundation said the right kinds of precautions can prove successful.
“If you put in those bright lights, you put in those fences, put in those noise makers, you teach the lion where it’s OK to be and where it’s not OK to be. They learn. And so there is good evidence of that,” Rosenau said.
Mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains are part of an area being evaluated for endangered species consideration.
For more information on sightings, policies and more, Martins encourages people to visit this this website here.
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