Mountain lion spotted in San Luis Obispo neighborhood

February 11, 2017

San Luis Obispo police are warning residents of a mountain lion sighting at an apartment complex on the 1900 block of Royal Way.

Shortly before 6 a.m. on Friday, a concerned citizen reported seeing a mountain lion. Police arrived, but were unable to locate the animal.

While mountain lion attacks on humans are rare, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking people to take precautions.

“If you are confronted by a mountain lion, make yourself appear larger, more aggressive, make noise, and create distance by slowly walking backwards,” police said. “We are reminding citizens if you see a mountain lion, please contact your local law enforcement agency.”

In 2015, scientists analyzed the stomach contents of 83 mountain lions that had been legally killed by California residents.

Of the mountain lions examined, at least 52 percent had eaten cats, dogs or other domestic animals. Eighteen percent of the mountain lions had stomach contents too digested to be identified.

Only 5 percent had eaten deer, which are considered to be the favorite prey of mountain lions. Deer are harder to catch than house cats. Nine percent of the mountain lions had empty stomachs.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife warns pet owners to keep their cats inside and their dogs on leashes if they live near open space or are visiting park land.