Mountain lion sightings jump around SLO County. Here’s where the cats have been spotted
Big eyes staring down a mountain biker on a local trail, footsteps tromping through a neighbor’s backyard, muscles tensing while a dog desperately runs in circles.
Mountain lions abound in San Luis Obispo County — videos and pictures of the big cats have thoroughly populated social media channels and news reports in the last few weeks.
Despite the flurry of recent reports, sightings of the typically elusive and solitary animal are not a new occurrence in the region.
In fact, since 2018, there have been about 370 reports of mountain lions in San Luis Obispo County to local law enforcement agencies and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to data gathered by The Tribune.
There have been far more sightings in the past three years than previous years, hitting a peak of 100 reports in 2020, according to the data. Just 55 reports were made in 2019, the data show.
Although only 64 reports had been made in 2022 as of early November, that number will likely rise thanks to the recent incidents.
“There’s definitely been a recent uptick,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Brandon Swanson. “We don’t know for sure why that is, but we have some theories.”
Why are mountain lions sightings on the rise?
One theory for the increase is that a large tom — male mountain lion — recently died or “lost his reign” over his area, Swanson said. That would enable other mountain lions to then move in, he added.
But that’s just a theory, and the increase in sightings could also stem simply from the abundance of cameras on cellphones, houses and doorbells, Swanson said. There are also plenty of deer in San Luis Obispo County, Swanson noted, so the mountain lions have a lot of prey attracting them to the area.
Mountain lions were spotted in most cities and towns in the county, from the far northern reaches to the far south.
People called in to law enforcement to report the cats in their rural backyards far from any city, while others were made near dense neighborhoods and the downtowns of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Morro Bay, Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles.
Besides the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office received the most reports of mountain lions since 2018. The Sheriff’s Office responds to reports from all of the unincorporated areas of the county, including Los Osos, Cambria and Santa Margarita.
San Luis Obispo police received the next highest number of reports at 40 over the five years, followed closely by Atascadero police with 37 reports, according to The Tribune’s data.
However, each of the agencies noted that the reports of mountain lions were nearly all unsubstantiated. Officers would most often arrive on scene and be unable to find the mountain lion the caller had described, agency spokespeople told The Tribune.
Swanson said the state has ordered at least 10 GPS collars to put on mountain lions in San Luis Obispo County. These will track their location to help him learn more about the animals’ behaviors and habitat ranges, he said.
“There’s a lot we can learn,” he said. “A huge part of that is learning how they interact with the wildland-urban interface where people are present.”
The public can help with the state’s research by documenting any mountain lion sightings through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Incident Reporting system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Mountain lion sightings are typically rare, and it’s exceedingly rare for the animals to attack humans.
Swanson advised that people should always keep their dogs on a leash while walking outdoors, and small children should be kept in sight.
If you see a mountain lion, do not run away, he said. Do not approach it, either.
Instead, wave your arms, jump up and down, yell loudly — in other words, “get as big and scary as you can,” Swanson said.
If the mountain lion is moving toward you or acting aggressively, you can the National Park Service advises you throw small rocks or sticks at it.
Any mountain lion sightings should be reported to the state or local law enforcement agency.
