Following the Gourmet Ghetto mountain lion and the lion and cubs seen near LBL, Mark Rieffel reported the following sighting on the Park Hills neighborhood listserv:
This morning (Sunday) shortly before 9 AM my wife Jan drove south on the segment of Park Hills Rd between the island where it meets Woodside and the island where it ends at Shasta. As she was right by the last house on the right, a mountain lion sauntered across Park Hills Rd, just past the last house on the right, only a few feet in front of Jan’s car, going east towards Tilden Park. It seemed to ignore her car, and was in no hurry.
It’s thrilling to have such beautiful wild animals on our doorstep, but Berkeleyans who frequent Tilden Park and the areas nearby should probably familiarize themselves with the California Fish and Game Department’s advice on mountain lions:
Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. However, conflicts are increasing as California’s human population expands into mountain lion habitat.
- Do not hike, bike, or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects. Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a mountain lion attacks a person,
immediately call 911.
