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Mountain lions' presence shouldn't paralyze us in wild
I feel very conflicted about the balance between caution and enjoying the place we live.
The book documents the evolution in the country's cougar population from the early 20th century, when they nearly were erased from the wild, to the present, when conservation has helped their numbers rebound and urban interface has caused them to be habituated to humans - and occasionally view them as prey.
One such case was a 1986 attack on a young girl in Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park in Southern California.
"Young Laura - blond and blue eyed, wearing shorts and a sleeveless top - removed her sandals and waded into the water to catch tadpoles, when her mother glimpsed a muscular animal leaping from the bushes. It grabbed Laura by the head and vanished with her in its mouth," the book read.
Laura's mother recalled, "I was just standing next to her, then the next second there was total silence. ... They were gone."
They were able to find and rescue the girl, but she suffered severe injuries, including a crushed skull and gashes to her face. The family successfully sued Orange County for failing to adequately warn visitors about the cougar danger.
That such a danger exists here is undeniable. Earlier this month, a mountain lion was killed in the courtyard at Park Elementary after being spotted by a passer-by. And last year, two other lions were killed in town.
"We don't want mountain lions in the town," Division of Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewan-dowski told the Herald last week. "So, we had our officer shoot and kill the mountain lion on site."
Knowing that children, by virtue of their size and frenetic behavior, can trigger the predatory instinct of lions certainly gives me pause when recreating with my kids in the wild. I feel very conflicted about the balance between caution and enjoying the place we live.
Lewandowski, in a phone interview Thursday, noted that lion attacks on people are "exceedingly rare." Since 1990, there have only been two fatal attacks in the state despite the millions of people who routinely recreate in the woods.
He said there are career wildlife officers who have never seen one.
"People shouldn't be paranoid about it," he said.
He did offer these precautions to minimize the risk:
- Be aware of your surroundings, particularly during dawn and dusk when lions are most active.
- Carry a hiking stick.Hike in a group and keep children in sight.
"That incites the chase response," Lewandowski said.
Instead, back up slowly and throw something if you can.
He encouraged people to go see the Center for Southwest Studies' new exhibit Mountain Lion!, which opens Saturday. The exhibit aims to raise awareness about the growing issue of human encounters with mountain lions.
A host of family and children's events such as the "Cougar Olympics," designed to teach children about the cats through interactive activities, will take place starting at 1 p.m. opening day.
To learn more about the show, visit http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/mtn_lion/index.shtml.
Katie Burford is a Durango parent and Herald staff writer. Her blog for parents can be found on the Herald's homepage under
"Kid Row."
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