Thought El Niño, earthquakes, mudslides, droughts, smog alerts and the Medfly were
the only natural dangers Californians face?
Michael L. Bryant (mlbry@cats.ucsc.edu), world music personality extraordinaire of KUSP-FM 89.9,
Santa Cruz, sent the following memo that was distributed via e-mail and
posters to benefit University of California-Santa Cruz students:
In the month of September, there have been two sightings of mountain lions
on the UC Santa Cruz campus. In one instance, a mountain lion was seen in
the meadow between the UCSC Farm and Hagar Drive; in another, a mountain
lion was sighted near the bike path in the vicinity of the Lower Quarry.
Both of these sightings occurred in
the early morning hours, and in both cases, the animals made no threatening
movements toward humans. These sightings, however, serve to remind us--and
to inform newcomers to the area--that most of our campus is situated in
mountain lion habitat.
Therefore, when you are in the woods,
it is prudent to recall the following safety precautions advised by the
Department of Fish and Game.
1) Do not hike or jog alone in the
woods, especially at night, at twilight, in late evening, or in the early
morning hours.
2) If you do encounter a lion, the
California Department of Fish and Game suggests you take the following
actions:
Stop! Do not run from a lion. Back away from it slowly, but only if you can do so safely.
Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion
and stand upright.
Stay calm
when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly, yet firmly to it.
Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most
mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
Do not jog or hike alone. Make plenty of noise to reduce your chances of surprising
a lion. A sturdy walking stick is a good idea: you can use it to ward off
a lion.
Keep children close to you, making sure they are always within your sight. Talk
to them about lions and tell them what to do if they meet one.
Do not crouch or bend over; do all
you can to appear larger. Raise your arms.
Open your jacket if you're wearing one. If you have small children with
you, pick them up so they won't panic and run.
If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches, or whatever you can grab without
crouching or turning your back.
Fight back
and try to stay on your feet if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven
off by prey that fights back!
Please report all mountain lion sightings
on or near the ucsc campus, as well as any animal carcass that could be
attributed to a lion kill.
Contact University Animal Control
Officer Deb White at 459-2231. |