Le Jacquelope
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What kind of idiot portrays cougars as being any more threatening than a bunny rabbit?
http://www.arguscourier.com/news/news/mountainlionsituation050914.html
Reported cougar sightings increase
September 14, 2005
By DAN JOHNSON
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
They are powerful, cagey, elusive and secretive creatures who generally don't like people, deeply resent others stepping into their territory and show no mercy for those they prey upon in the blackness of night.
In these ways, they can be likened to Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and other former lords of the underworld.
But the similarities pretty much end there, for unlike the criminal element, they largely are scared of even the most timid of people and fulfill an important, constructive role in their environment.
They are the several thousand mountain lions who roam California's deserts, forests and almost every conceivable terrain in between.
Recently, more mountain lion sightings have been reported in the Petaluma area, yet the animal's mystique often veils its true nature, so its potential threat to human beings often is not understood.
On Aug. 19 and 21, two separate sightings were reported around the 500 block of I Street, and on Sept. 5, two different sightings were described in a field on Bantam Way, near Larch Drive.
"It seems that there has been an increase in reported mountain lion sightings in the northern California area, but it's hard to tell because often, several people report seeing the same mountain lion," said Allan Buckmann, a wildlife biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game. "We had nine calls in one day from Contra Costa County, with people each describing a sighting along the same area of open space.
"Sometimes, people mistake lions and panthers for house cats or other animals, but we have had a few confirmed sightings in Petaluma this year, mainly in Helen Putnam Regional Park, and have found pawprints. When I do a question-and-answer session with someone reporting a sighting, I usually can tell if theyÕve actually seen a mountain lion."
Mountain lions -- commonly known as cougars, panthers and pumas -- are tawny colored with black-tipped ears and a tail. Mountain lion kittens, or cubs, are covered with blackish-brown spots and have dark rings around their tales. These markings fade as they mature. Adult males may be over eight feet long, including their tail, and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females are up to seven feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.
A mountain lion's natural life span is about 12 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity.
They usually hunt alone, at night, and like to ambush their prey from behind. Mountain lions usually kill prey with a powerful bite below the base of the skull, breaking the neck. Other large animals, such as bears and lions, are their natural enemies, while big-horn sheep, deer, elk and other mountain lions are some of their prey. Mountain lions typically kill their prey at around 11:30 p.m., Buckmann said.
"Lions have twice as good night vision as humans," he added.
As people increasingly have encroached upon territory inhabited by animals and maintained tempting food supplies, reported sightings have increased.
"In Petaluma, most of the reported sightings have been toward the hills, but mountain lions also follow creek drainage. They could be anywhere," Buckmann said.
As a rule, they don't find people very appetizing.
"Almost everyone who has been in the woods has been seen by a mountain lion, so they've had millions of opportunities to attack, but since 1890, only six deaths and 17 attacks have been attributed to them in California," Buckmann said. "By comparison, 17 or 18 people are killed each year by rattlesnakes in the state."
Attacks are possible, he acknowledges.
"People should be careful when jogging or riding bicycles on deer trails at dawn and dusk, because mountain lions hunt then," Buckmann said, adding that attacks sometimes occur when people are mistaken for deer or other prey.
The California Department of Fish and Game has issued a brochure, "Living with California Mountain Lions," that outlines how to prevent possible problems. The brochure advises people to refrain from feeding wildlife that could inadvertently attract mountain lions; remove vegetation that provides a hiding place for them; install outdoor lighting; keep pets and livestock secure and keep children safe.
People are told to hike in groups, with adults supervising children; attempt to appear larger if a lion is spotted and fight back if attacked. People should not approach or run from the animal or bend over, the brochure suggests.
Anyone encountering a mountain lion face-to-face is asked to contact the California Department of Fish and Game's 24-hour dispatch center at (916) 445-0045.
But Buckmann again assures that the likelihood of attacks is minimal.
"People are more likely to be struck by lightning than be killed by mountain lions. They really don't like people," he said.
While people generally find it reassuring to know that mountain lions don't like them or care about what they do, this also can be a major blow to the human ego, perhaps the most fragile in the animal kingdom.
Buckmann provides some necessary clarification.
"All I care about is that they don't like to eat people. I don't really know what they think about people otherwise," he said, laughing.
(Contact Dan Johnson at djohnson@arguscourier.com)
http://www.arguscourier.com/news/news/mountainlionsituation050914.html
Reported cougar sightings increase
September 14, 2005
By DAN JOHNSON
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
They are powerful, cagey, elusive and secretive creatures who generally don't like people, deeply resent others stepping into their territory and show no mercy for those they prey upon in the blackness of night.
In these ways, they can be likened to Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and other former lords of the underworld.
But the similarities pretty much end there, for unlike the criminal element, they largely are scared of even the most timid of people and fulfill an important, constructive role in their environment.
They are the several thousand mountain lions who roam California's deserts, forests and almost every conceivable terrain in between.
Recently, more mountain lion sightings have been reported in the Petaluma area, yet the animal's mystique often veils its true nature, so its potential threat to human beings often is not understood.
On Aug. 19 and 21, two separate sightings were reported around the 500 block of I Street, and on Sept. 5, two different sightings were described in a field on Bantam Way, near Larch Drive.
"It seems that there has been an increase in reported mountain lion sightings in the northern California area, but it's hard to tell because often, several people report seeing the same mountain lion," said Allan Buckmann, a wildlife biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game. "We had nine calls in one day from Contra Costa County, with people each describing a sighting along the same area of open space.
"Sometimes, people mistake lions and panthers for house cats or other animals, but we have had a few confirmed sightings in Petaluma this year, mainly in Helen Putnam Regional Park, and have found pawprints. When I do a question-and-answer session with someone reporting a sighting, I usually can tell if theyÕve actually seen a mountain lion."
Mountain lions -- commonly known as cougars, panthers and pumas -- are tawny colored with black-tipped ears and a tail. Mountain lion kittens, or cubs, are covered with blackish-brown spots and have dark rings around their tales. These markings fade as they mature. Adult males may be over eight feet long, including their tail, and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females are up to seven feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.
A mountain lion's natural life span is about 12 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity.
They usually hunt alone, at night, and like to ambush their prey from behind. Mountain lions usually kill prey with a powerful bite below the base of the skull, breaking the neck. Other large animals, such as bears and lions, are their natural enemies, while big-horn sheep, deer, elk and other mountain lions are some of their prey. Mountain lions typically kill their prey at around 11:30 p.m., Buckmann said.
"Lions have twice as good night vision as humans," he added.
As people increasingly have encroached upon territory inhabited by animals and maintained tempting food supplies, reported sightings have increased.
"In Petaluma, most of the reported sightings have been toward the hills, but mountain lions also follow creek drainage. They could be anywhere," Buckmann said.
As a rule, they don't find people very appetizing.
"Almost everyone who has been in the woods has been seen by a mountain lion, so they've had millions of opportunities to attack, but since 1890, only six deaths and 17 attacks have been attributed to them in California," Buckmann said. "By comparison, 17 or 18 people are killed each year by rattlesnakes in the state."
Attacks are possible, he acknowledges.
"People should be careful when jogging or riding bicycles on deer trails at dawn and dusk, because mountain lions hunt then," Buckmann said, adding that attacks sometimes occur when people are mistaken for deer or other prey.
The California Department of Fish and Game has issued a brochure, "Living with California Mountain Lions," that outlines how to prevent possible problems. The brochure advises people to refrain from feeding wildlife that could inadvertently attract mountain lions; remove vegetation that provides a hiding place for them; install outdoor lighting; keep pets and livestock secure and keep children safe.
People are told to hike in groups, with adults supervising children; attempt to appear larger if a lion is spotted and fight back if attacked. People should not approach or run from the animal or bend over, the brochure suggests.
Anyone encountering a mountain lion face-to-face is asked to contact the California Department of Fish and Game's 24-hour dispatch center at (916) 445-0045.
But Buckmann again assures that the likelihood of attacks is minimal.
"People are more likely to be struck by lightning than be killed by mountain lions. They really don't like people," he said.
While people generally find it reassuring to know that mountain lions don't like them or care about what they do, this also can be a major blow to the human ego, perhaps the most fragile in the animal kingdom.
Buckmann provides some necessary clarification.
"All I care about is that they don't like to eat people. I don't really know what they think about people otherwise," he said, laughing.
(Contact Dan Johnson at djohnson@arguscourier.com)
