A wilderness park has had to close its gates to visitors after several concerning encounters with a mountain lion.
What's happening?
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Southern California closed in early November after two reported mountain lion sightings, according to Hey SoCal. The sightings occurred on Nov. 3 and 4, and on both times occasions, the mountain lions were observed following the people reporting the incidents before running off. It is unclear if it was the same mountain lion or two different ones.
The park does not typically close when mountain lions are spotted, but given the animal's behavior in these instances, the OC Parks department erred on the side of caution and closed the park.
OC Parks, who oversee Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, worked with experts from UC Davis Wildlife Health Center to gather more information about the mountain lions and their behavior. They used cameras to monitor their movements and conducted field work, including looking for tracks and scat.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park did reopen on Nov. 26, per the OC Parks website.
Why is the mountain lion sighting important?
The behavior of the mountain lion(s) was deemed "super out-of-the-ordinary" by Cort Klopping, a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson speaking with the Los Angeles Times about the park closing. Mountain lions tend to avoid people, so much so that the outlet said a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked.
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That means the mountain lion was likely being drawn to or driven toward humans in the park for any number of reasons, including curiosity, protecting cubs, or, in a worst case scenario, hunting for food. That food does not include humans, but people have been attacked after getting too close either by accident or intentionally.
Lack of resources driven by changes in the climate and habitat destruction from humans are common factors in pushing animals and humans closer together, according to the BBC. They can also occur when people in parks purposefully get too close to animals, such as bears and bison, which can result in some animals being euthanized if they attack humans.
Thankfully, mountain lion attacks are incredibly rare, with just seven recorded in California, per the LA Times, including one within Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.
What's being done about mountain lion sightings?
With the park reopening, officials took the opportunity to remind people to take precautions when hiking to avoid encounters with mountain lions. Those include never hiking alone, staying within your group — especially with children — making noise to alert the mountain lions to your presence, and hiking during the daytime when mountain lions are less active.
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If you encounter a mountain lion, it is crucial to not run and instead hold your ground, make noise, and make yourself appear larger by waving your arms. You can also throw items at it to scare it away.
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