Neighbor shoots and kills mountain lion attacking dog in California park, cops say
A resident shot and killed a mountain lion attacking their neighbor’s dog in a California neighborhood, officials said.
The dog was in the cougar’s jaws as the neighbor fired and didn’t survive the attack, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told McClatchy News in a phone interview Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Two other mountain lions were spotted in the Sierra County park during the attack in the early-morning hours of Monday, Jan. 13, the spokesperson said. The department is working with a United States Department of Agriculture trapper to find the cougars and haze them away from the area, which usually involves hounds sniffing out the cougar’s location, the spokesperson said.
The county park on Upper Main Street in Downieville is closed until further notice, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office announced Jan. 13 on Facebook.
“This includes the playground, tennis courts and basketball court,” the agency said. “We urge all residents and visitors in the Downieville area to exercise caution and report any mountain lion sightings to the Sheriff’s Office.”
Sheriff Mike Fisher urged residents to keep their pets indoors, especially at night, The Mountain Messenger reported.
“I probably wouldn’t jog in that area right now, at least early morning and late evening,” Fisher told the outlet.
Several people commented on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post that they worried about their children walking to school near the park.
“Number one concern should be for children coming home from school or playing outside,” someone said.
For pets that need to go outside, the sheriff’s office recommended keeping them close and walking them on a leash. Residents should “avoid hiking or jogging alone, especially at dawn, dusk, or night,” the agency said.
Downieville is about a 110-mile drive northeast from Sacramento.
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Mountain lions are typically “calm, quiet and elusive,” according to the National Park Service. While attacks involving mountain lions are rare, they are possible.
“Even so, the potential for being killed or injured by a mountain lion is quite low compared to many other natural hazards,” the National Park Service said on its website. “There is a far greater risk, for example, of being killed in an automobile accident with a deer than of being attacked by a mountain lion.”
Officials said there are some things you can do to prevent a mountain lion encounter from becoming an attack.
Stay calm and back away slowly.
Face the lion and stand up straight.
Don’t approach a mountain lion, especially if it’s with kittens.
Don’t run. It could stimulate a mountain lion’s chase instincts.
Pick up small children so they don’t panic or run away.
Don’t bend over or crouch down.
Throw things at the mountain lion if it continues to move toward you.
If the mountain lion attacks, fight back using anything around you.
Report all sightings, encounters or attacks to local park rangers or law enforcement.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 4:44 AM with the headline "Neighbor shoots and kills mountain lion attacking dog in California park, cops say."
