by Cat Urbigkit
On average, fewer than 3 percent of California’s reported mountain lion encounters resulted in the animal being identified as an imminent threat to public safety and subsequently killed. In 2009, there were 141 incidents between mountain lions and humans reported in California, and one lion was killed to protect public safety. In 2010, there were 127 incidents, with seven lions killed. In 2011, there was an increase to 214 incidents, but only three lions were killed. In 2012, 162 incidents were reported, and seven lions were killed.
But the December 2012 killing of two starving mountain lion kittens in Half Moon Bay, California, sparked outrage among animal activists. The juvenile lions were frequenting residential areas, and efforts to haze them away from the area failed. The animals were finally found hiding under a deck during a rainstorm, and game wardens shot and killed the pair. Only after the animals were killed was it revealed the starving kittens weighed about 13 pounds each.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued an internal agency bulletin detailing the agency’s policies on human–mountain lion interactions in March 2013, noting: “Recent incidents have resulted in multiple mountain lions being taken in a single depredation or public safety event. Historically, such events are rare. These cases have concerned the Department and the public and have prompted the Department to review policies and procedures regarding how the Department responds to all mountain lion interactions.”
The bulletin noted: “The Department’s foremost consideration is the protection of human life. Responding to public safety wild-life incidents are a priority for the Department and a public safety mountain lion shall be humanely euthanized as quickly as possible by a Department official or a public safety peace officer.”
The killing of the two kittens prompted California state senator Jerry Hill to introduce Senate Bill 132, requiring state wildlife incidents where there is no imminent threat to human life. The bill easily passed the California Assembly, and in September 2013, California governor Jerry Brown signed the new mountain lion protection bill into law. Senate Bill 132 amends the state’s law to read:
(a) Unless authorized in this chapter, nonlethal procedures shall be used when removing or taking any mountain lion that has not been designated as an imminent threat to public health or safety.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, “imminent threat to public health or safety” means a situation where a mountain lion exhibits one or more aggressive behaviors directed toward a person that is not reasonably believed to be due to the presence of responders.
(c) For purposes of this chapter, “nonlethal procedures” means procedures that may include, but are not limited to, capturing, pursuing, anesthetizing, temporarily possessing, temporarily injuring, marking, attaching to or surgically implanting monitoring or recognition devices, providing veterinary care, transporting, hazing, rehabilitating, releasing, or taking no action.
(d) The department may, as the department determines is necessary to protect mountain lions or the public, authorize qualified individuals, educational institutions, governmental agencies, or nongovernmental organizations to implement nonlethal procedures on a mountain lion in accordance with subdivision (a).
Animal advocates hailed the legislation as a landmark in lion conservation, while reporters noted that the law prevents game wardens from killing lions that venture into populated areas of the state unless the animals pose an urgent threat to human safety. Early indications are that California wildlife officials will have ample opportunity to test the new legislation, and the public’s reaction, as human encounters with mountain lions continue. A mountain lion was documented via surveillance camera as it roamed the streets of the Hollywood Hills in early 2014. In February 2014, a fifty-year-old homeless man was treated for extensive injuries from a presumed mountain lion attack at his encampment near Perris (about 70 miles from downtown Los Angeles).
Outside of California, conflicts also continue. Officials in Saskatchewan issued cougar advisories in March 2013 after lions were spotted near two different elementary schools. Citizens were cautioned to keep watch on their small children and pets while outside, since cougars are known to attack smaller people.
Chino Valley, Arizona, officials had to deal with two mountain lions after about twenty residents of a neighborhood gathered outside to watch the lions as they explored the area in April 2013. The adult female and her yearling offspring spent most of a day in the neighborhood, under the watchful eye of wildlife officials, until they could be herded out of the area by wildlife managers in their vehicles.
In September 2013, a sixty-year-old woman was severely injured by a mountain lion while gardening near her home on Flores Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The mountain lion jumped the woman from behind, and the woman’s husband fought the animal off using a spear. The animal was wounded and fled, but was found dead nearby by wildlife officials investigating the attack. Conservation officers were familiar with the scene, as the woman had reported several run-ins with a lion two months prior, but weather conditions hindered the search for the animal at that time. Newspaper accounts noted that the couple kept a boar spear handy in case of problems, and that they had lived in the area for more than three decades.
Just a few weeks after the garden attack, another mountain lion was reported to be harassing area residents. Incident reports include a mountain lion ripping out a screen door while attempting to gain entry to a home, and an account of a mountain lion stalking a person. These dangerous behaviors are indicative of a pattern of increased risk of attacks of humans.
In early October 2013, a bicyclist on a popular Jackson Hole, Wyoming, trail came around a corner and was confronted by a mountain lion at a close distance. The man attempted to scare the animal away by raising the bike over his head and yelling, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, but the animal reacted with a predatory stalk. The man used pepper spray, which deterred the cat enough that the bicyclist was able to escape the scene.
Avoiding
Mountain Lion Conflicts
So why is it that attacks have been on the rise? Well, there are simply more mountain lions and more people using the same habitat, so increases in conflicts are to be expected. For example, Montana officials note that more than 70 percent of lion–human interactions in that state involve one- to two-year-old animals establishing their own territories. That’s a pattern that other states have reported as well.
Colorado State University’s Benson suggests that prevention of mountain lion attacks on humans could involve the following components:
Reducing the density of mountain lions through sport hunting
Limiting human use of mountain lion habitat (either temporarily avoiding problem areas, or through permanent zoning and use restrictions)
Modifying existing habitat to limit availability of prey
Conditioning humans to avoid lion encounters
Aversive behavioral conditioning of lions to instill fear/avoidance behavior
Fitzhugh and colleagues updated Beier’s earlier tally of fatal and nonfatal mountain lion attacks on humans and reviewed the circumstances of these attacks and how victims responded. Lessons learned from this exercise include:
Gunshots were less effective at deterring an attack than yelling or screaming. Gunshots were only effective when the lion was actually shot and killed. Only a few lions left the area as a result of shots being fired to scare the animals. Researchers suggest that if a gun is to be fired to frighten a lion (instead of shooting to kill it), it should be repeatedly fired in quick succession.
In some cases, a human lunging at a mountain lion has actually managed to scare the animal away. There were several cases in which humans charged at the lion, and in some cases scuffled with the animal, before the animal fled the scene.
Solitary hikers are three times as likely to be attacked by a mountain lion as those who travel in pairs or larger groups.
Sleeping out in the open (outside of a tent or b
uilding) has resulted in numerous attacks by lions, but most involved minor injuries when the victim woke up and fought back. In most cases, it appears the cat was simply dragging away moribund prey, only to be startled away when the victim awakens and makes noise. Such an incident occurred near Nevada City, California, in July 2012, as a camper slept in his sleeping bag next to the Yuba River. Around 1 a.m., the sixty-three-year-old man awoke to a mountain lion biting his head and clawing at him in the bag. The man protested and the cat retreated. The man received medical treatment for his injuries.
Homeowners should be aware that planting vegetation desired by deer draws not just deer to residential neighborhoods, but the mountain lions that prey on them. Trim brush and reduce landscaping that provides cover for mountain lions, and deer-proof your yard by not landscaping with plants that deer like to eat. Install outdoor lighting or motion-sensitive lighting around your home to discourage predator presence. Don’t feed wildlife, or leave pet food outside for predators to find. Keep pets secure.
When enjoying the outdoors, take action to reduce the likelihood of encountering a mountain lion. Try to recreate in groups, and be aware of your surroundings, scanning areas nearby as you move around. Be aware of the presence of animal carcasses— often revealed by the odor and presence of magpies and ravens. A mountain lion feeding on a kill or defending a food cache can be very dangerous. It’s a good idea to carry a walking stick—it could become a defensive weapon in an encounter with a lion. Make noise, and do not wear earphones. Do not run at dawn or dusk, or alone. Keep children in the middle of your group, and always within arm’s reach.
What to Do If You Encounter a Lion
If you encounter a mountain lion, you may be in danger and need to react accordingly. First and foremost, stay calm and try to assess the situation. Each lion is an individual and you must take your cues from the animal. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife recommends:
Keep the lion in view at all times. Stay upright and facing the animal.
Without bending over, pick up small children and hold them in your arms.
Speak calmly but firmly. Be assertive in relaying that you are not prey.
Moving slowly, back away. Do not turn your back, and do not run. Make sure the lion has an escape route.
Try to appear larger—raise your arms, open your jacket. If you are in a group, stand shoulder to shoulder to appear bigger.
Understanding Predatory Lion Behavior
Researchers Fitzhugh and Fjelline developed a list of predatory mountain lion behaviors, along with suggested appropriate human responses:
If the lion stares intently, follows and hides, or hisses, snarls, or vocalizes, you are in substantial danger of attack.
If the cat approaches you, throw rocks and other objects, but don’t crouch down. Yell loudly.
If the cat crouches, with its tail twitching, ears erect, and body low to the ground, get ready to fight because an attack is imminent. If you are carrying pepper spray, or have a firearm ready, take careful aim and use it!
If the cat’s ears are turned so the fur side is forward, and if its tail is twitching and its hind feet are pumping in preparation to jump, you are seconds away from physical combat. Attack the mountain lion aggressively, such as by running at the animal with a stick, trying to gouge the animal’s face.
If the mountain lion attacks you or another person, fight back aggressively. Try to stay on your feet and fight, fight, fight with every means possible!
HAZING SENDS A MESSAGE
Negative conditioning techniques are used to haze mountain lions away from populated areas, such as shooting individual lions with beanbags or rubber buckshot. “It sends a strong message to reinforce the cat’s natural instinct to avoid people,” according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
FOR KIDS ONLY
Since kids, due to their smaller size, are often viewed as prey by mountain lions, it is important that you teach children how to react if they see a mountain lion. Colorado officials suggest using the acronym SMART to help children remember what to do:
S: Stop. Do not move right away. Do not run.
M: Make yourself as big as possible, such as by raising your arms over your head.
A: Announce yourself. Talk loudly to the animal.
R: Retreat. Back away slowly.
T: Tell an adult.
Chapter 5
Grizzly Nightmares
On one hot August night in 1967, two nineteen-year-old women—in separate incidents—were killed by two separate grizzly bears in Montana’s Glacier National Park. While camping with her boyfriend under the stars, Julie Helgeson was dragged from her sleeping bag and severely mauled by a grizzly. When the search party found her a few hours later, Helgeson was still alive. She was carried to the nearby Granite Park Chalet where a surgeon (a guest staying at the lodge) tried to save her, but she had suffered major blood loss. A priest prayed with the young woman as she died.
Less than a dozen miles away, another grizzly bear raided a campground occupied by a group of five young people. While the others escaped by climbing trees, Michele Koons was caught in her sleeping bag and was dragged off into the dark by the grizzly bear. Her body was recovered the next morning.
Glacier National Park rangers had an obligation to find and destroy the offending bears to protect the public from further tragedy. Rangers stationed themselves on the porch of the chalet for the next few days, shooting grizzly bears as they approached to feed in a nearby garbage dump, which had allowed visitors to watch the bears feed from the relative safety of the deck. Rangers killed three grizzlies, including the sow responsible for killing Julie Helgeson, as well as the bear’s two cubs.
Two rangers stationed near Trout Lake, where Michele Koons was killed, were sent to investigate the mauling the next morning. Three days after recovering Koons’s body, two rangers shot and killed a sow grizzly near the attack site. It was soon confirmed this was the grizzly that had killed Koons. A cleanup crew later hauled out loads of garbage that had accumulated from years of sloppy camping at the site.
In both cases on that tragic night in Glacier National Park, the camping parties were sleeping out in the open, not in tents. Both bears had fed on garbage, associated humans with food, and had lost their fear of humans. One of the bears had demonstrated aggression to humans in the days prior to the fatal attack, and those familiar with it wanted the animal destroyed, but the National Park Service was slow to act. Bear attack expert Stephen Herrero called the bear “predisposed” to attack in his book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance. He wrote: “It was an aggressive individual encouraged to be so by the outcomes of its many interactions with people and their garbage and food. . . . [T]his bear’s long experience in getting food and garbage from people led it to decide to treat a person as prey.”
Herrero added: “The odors and activities of people were well known to each bear. When the opportunity presented itself in the form of unsheltered campers, each bear acted like a predator.”
At the time of the Glacier attacks, bears were still feeding from open garbage dumps in other parks, including Yellowstone National Park. But the fatal attacks in Glacier had wide impacts. Yellowstone officials decided it was time to shut the dumps down, removing a significant food source for the park’s bruins. Although long-time grizzly bear researchers Frank and John Craighead had advised that the dumps be phased out over a longer period of time, and that a monitoring program be established to track the movement of the bears and supplemental food (such as elk carcasses) be provided during the period of adjustment, their recommendations were not followed. Some feared that abruptly shutting off an important food source for bears could result in more human injuries, not less.
“The deaths in Glacier had generated considerable pressure to avoid similar incidents in Yellowstone at all costs, “explained Frank Craighead in his 1979 book, Track of the Grizzly. “Yet conditions at Yellowstone were quite different. The grizzlies had been using the Yellowstone d
umps as a source of easily obtained supplemental food for eighty years, but food foraged from the dumps was not associated directly with man, as were the handouts they received at Glacier.”
The park service began reducing the amount of garbage available to bears in both Glacier and Yellowstone parks, and abrupt dump closures occurred in Yellowstone in 1970 and 1971. Bears were getting into campgrounds and causing conflicts throughout Yellowstone; subsequently, they were removed, killed, or relocated continually. There were eighty-eight grizzly bear deaths in the Yellowstone region in a two-year period (including deaths by agency action, natural causes, and illegal kills).
On August 23, 1970, Yellowstone park visitors found a human scalp on a blanket. Evidence was collected from the scene and stored. On September 16, 1970, rangers found an abandoned camp that had been ransacked by a bear. Cans of food had been mouthed by the bear but unopened, indicating the bear might have been old and toothless. Rangers removed the camp but the occupant was never found. A month later, and less than a mile away, an old, partially toothless sow grizzly was trapped and ear-tagged after hanging around a developed area of the park. Her new ear tag identified her as bear 1792. She was relocated to an area about 18 miles distant in an attempt to keep her out of the developed area.
Did the human scalp found less than a month prior originate in the ransacked camp? Had the camper been the victim of a bear mauling? Was bear 1792 responsible? No one will ever know, but suspicions about the incident remained for years. This 1970 death was unpublicized until another death brought the case to light.