Mountain lion sightings prompt caution from police

Authorities on Thursday, advised residents that a mountain lion was seen in the city, the second of two sightings in the span of around 12 hours, officials said.

The morning sighting prompted an alert from the city's police department.

“The Sierra Madre Police Department has received a report of a mountain lion seen in the area of Baldwin Ave between Carter Ave and Mira Monte,” police said in a statement on Nixle on Thursday morning.

“Please proceed with caution,” the statement said. “Our officers are aware of the situation and are monitoring the animal's activity.”

Video showed the animal walking on a roadway near parked cars at night.

By noon on Thursday, officials were continuing to monitor, but there had no reports to City

Hall of additional sightings, said James Carlson, a management analyst with the city.

It was unclear if the two sightings were the same cat.

A Fish and Wildlife official was en route to the city, to assist in the city's response and any public outreach, officials said.

At the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and so close to the Angeles National Forest, Sierra Madre is no stranger to wildlife encounters.

In September, a woman in a home just down the street from City Hall discovered a bear that had apparently found its way to some mangos before being politely removed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife and police officials, who had issued a warning for residents to avoid the area.

But the very next day, not far away, in the city's restaurant district, a mama bear and her two cubs caused a lunchtime stir as they ambled near the patios of the restaurants along Sierra Madre Boulevard. The bears were not aggressive and continued moving as police alerted the family to change direction as onlookers moved inside.

The bear encounters came amid a robust increase in such reports, which by then had nearly tripled compared to all of 2022.

In the case of mountain lions, sightings are relatively rare in the city. But in the latest reports, they were in an area right up against the hillsides, near some undeveloped open space, Carlson said.

Courtesy of the National Park Service, here are some tips on staying safe in mountain lion country.

• Do not jog or hike alone. Go in groups with adults supervising children.

• Keep children close to you. Do not allow children to play along river banks, in heavy vegetation, or alone at dawn or dusk. When hiking with children, watch them closely and never let them run ahead of you. Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children.

• If you encounter a lion, remember the goals are to convince it that you are not prey and that you may be dangerous. Follow these safety tips:

• Do not approach a lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

• Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so that they don't panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.

• Do not crouch down or bend over. A human standing up is just not the right shape for a lion's prey. Conversely, a person squatting or bending over resembles a four-legged prey animal. In mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.

• Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.

• Fight back if attacked. A hiker in southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools 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.

• Report mountain lion sightings to authorities.