Video shows mountain lion prowling through SLO woman’s backyard
Another mountain lion was spotted in San Luis Obispo County on Monday — this time in someone’s backyard.
A 5-foot-tall fence separates Natalie Davis’ yard from the creek behind her San Luis Obispo home, off of Oceanaire Drive near Drake Circle, and her dog usually goes down to the area of the fence each morning.
But Monday morning was different.
Security footage showed her dog staying up on the lawn and wanting to immediately go back inside. Once Davis’ dog was back safe inside, that’s when she saw the reason for the alarm.
A large mountain lion was walking in her yard. The lion had hopped her fence near the creek around 6:30 a.m.
“(My first thought was) Oh my god I have a 3-year-old. To be honest, that’s my biggest concern,” Davis told The Tribune.
Davis’ dog no longer goes in the yard at dawn or dusk, and her child is always with an adult when in the yard. Davis said she heard mountain lions sometimes return to an area more than once, so she has been extra cautious in her yard.
Davis posted the video on the Nextdoor app so her neighbors in the area could also practice caution when in their yards.
Davis said she reported the incident through California Fish and Wildlife’s online portal, which can be found at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
The encounter was the most recent of several in the last week or so, including in the hills around the city, which led to the closure of popular hiking trails in the Irish Hills.
On Saturday, a mountain biker chased off a cougar he encountered on the trail.
“I looked over and I saw this cat run toward me,” cyclist Rex Hatter told The Tribune. “The thing I’ve always heard was that you don’t run away from (mountain lions) — if you run away, you’re gonna get their instinct going to chase you — so I jumped off the bike and put the bike between me and the cat and just started screaming as loud as I could at it.”
Eventually, the cougar backed off.
On Sunday, Nov. 13, a mountain lion wandered up to the fence at Laguna Lake Mobile Estates.
“I’m not even probably three feet, four feet from the fence, and I turn and there (the mountain lion) is, just staring at me,” resident Holly Hiner told The Tribune.
Hiner yelled and waved her hands, and the mountain lion retreated back toward the creek.
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Mountain lions are most active at dawn, dusk and in the night, so during those times keep an eye on small children and pets and avoid doing activities in their habitats.
Most people’s instinct when they see a mountain lion is to run away as fast as you can — but this is the opposite of what to do, according to the National Park Service, and can entice the predator to pounce rather than back away.
The agency recommends staying calm, holding your ground and standing up straight when encountering a mountain lion. Maintain eye contact, and do not bend or crouch. Then back away slowly.
Make yourself appear as large as possible, whether that is lifting your arms or holding a jacket above your head. Speak in a loud voice, and wave your arms slowly.
If the predator doesn’t back off, throw things at it without turning away or bending down. First aim for the ground in front of the lion or near it as “warning shots” and at this point if the lion is still approaching, throw items directly at it.
In an attack, the agency says to fight back. People have successfully fought off mountain lions using rocks, sticks, jackets and their bare hands.
“Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal,” the agency said. “If you have a backpack, try to position it to serve as body armor or a shield.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
