People keep seeing mountain lions in SLO neighborhoods. Here’s what’s going on
Sarah Thomas was cooking dinner one January evening when her phone buzzed with a Ring Camera notification. She expected to see a raccoon or house cat walking through her yard in the Laguna Hills neighborhood — as they often do.
“Imagine my surprise when I look at the video, and it’s a mountain lion at 6:45 in the evening,” she told The Tribune.
Thomas is one of a handful of San Luis Obispo residents who spotted what an expert says may be a juvenile mountain lion prowling through their yard this month.
In December and January, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife received seven reports of mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo, wildlife biologist Brandon Swanson said.
Most were spotted in the Prefumo Creek area on both sides of Los Osos Valley Road, including toward Laguna Lake, he said.
While seven reports are slightly higher than usual, Swanson said it’s normal for mountain lions to walk through yards near open space areas.
“A big part of why people see lions in and around San Luis Obispo is the same reason many people love to live here: the amount of green space that we get to enjoy,” he said in an email to The Tribune.
Mountain lions sometimes end up in residential areas. Here’s why
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife received seven reports of mountain lion sightings during the past few weeks in neighborhoods near Prefumo Creek and Laguna Lake.
Swanson said the location of the sightings were confidential, but he did share the dates:
- One on Dec. 24
- Three reports of the same incident on Jan. 8
- Two reports of the same incident on Jan. 11
- One on Jan. 15
People have seen mountain lions on Royal Way near the Irish Hills Open Space, on Patricia Drive near the Bishop Peak trailhead, on Del Rio Avenue near Laguna Hills Park, and on Vista Del Collados and Vista Del Lago near Laguna Lake, city biologist Freddy Otte told The Tribune.
Swanson said this neighborhood is likely more aware of and more prepared to report mountain lion activity, as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife captured and relocated a cougar after it attacked pets in the Laguna Lake area in 2023. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife hasn’t yet identified whether people are seeing one or more mountain lions in the area, he said.
The primary prey of mountain lions are deer and fawns, which are larger, faster and more difficult to catch early in the year. For that reason, the cougars may venture into residential areas to find food in the winter, he said.
Meanwhile, as temperatures drop, mammals need more food to moderate their body temperature — which could also drive mountain lions toward neighborhoods, Swanson said.
Based on videos posted to Nextdoor, Otte estimated that the mountain lion captured on camera was a 40-pound juvenile.
When juvenile mountain lions reach about a 1.5-years-old, they look for their own territory, Otte said. Sometimes, juveniles born in the Irish Hills move through residential areas to travel to other open spaces areas, like the Los Padres National Forest, he said.
“We’ve got over 4,000 acres of city open space with the ultimate intent of said open space to protect plants and animals,” Otte said.
As a result, sometimes those animals spill into residential areas, he said.
SLO residents spot mountain lions
At first, Thomas said she felt surprised when her Ring Camera showed the cougar leaping over her trash cans and walking through her front yard in the Laguna Hills neighborhood on Jan. 8.
Then she felt awestruck.
“We’re no strangers to wildlife. We love it,” Thomas said. “That’s part of the joy of living here, is all the nature.”
She made sure that her 25-pound Tibetan Terrier was inside and texted her neighbors to warn them about the cougar, she said.
“Seeing it was very exciting, but also, you know, just makes you hyper vigilant,” she said.
She felt a bit nervous to walk her dog that night, but she stuck to the streets, brought flashlights and dressed him up in a light-up collar to protect him. When she walks her dog after dark, she stays aware of her surroundings, she said.
The mountain lion then returned at 1:45 a.m., her Ring Camera footage showed, but she hasn’t seen the cat since.
She posted the video of her Ring Camera footage on Nextdoor to spread awareness so her neighbors could stay safe — not to spread fear, she said.
“We don’t want these cats to go away,” she said. “Part of living here is the nature.”
Later, on Jan. 15, Cuesta College professor Kate Haisch saw a mountain lion walk through her yard at 5:10 a.m. She lives in the Laguna Lake area near Prefumo Creek, she said. The cougar crossed her yard again at about 6:10 a.m., according to footage on her Arlo camera.
“It just makes me feel really grateful to live in an area with such majestic animals as mountain lions,” she said.
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Mountain lions are solitary, elusive animals, according to the National Park Service. The chances of seeing one are slim, but people can encounter them.
“Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk,” the National Park Service website said. “However, lions are unpredictable and can be dangerous.”
If you see a mountain lion, experts advise you:
- Don’t approach it. Mountain lions usually want to avoid confrontation.
- Don’t run. It could stimulate their chase instincts.
- Stand tall. Face the mountain lion and make eye contact.
- Keep children close. If a mountain lion is approaching, pick up small children so they don’t panic or run.
- Don’t crouch or bend over. A mountain lion could perceive you as prey
- Fight back. If a mountain lion attacks, use rocks, sticks, jackets or anything you can get your hands on to fight back.
- Report mountain lion sightings to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife online at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 9:40 AM.
