COUGAR, BOBCATS IN HEART OF TOWN WILD ANIMALS ROAM NEXT TO PLAYGROUND.Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer VALENCIA - A mountain lion mountain lion: see puma. and two bobcats were spotted in the heart of Valencia this week, next to a bike path and playground, wildlife officials said Thursday. A woman peering out of her apartment window Wednesday afternoon spotted the mountain lion in the dry Santa Clara River Santa Clara River may refer to:
``The concern - the danger - is always there. The only difference is that yesterday we saw it,'' said Lt. Martin Wall of the California Department of Fish and Game. ``Whenever you have people and wildlife habitat close together, there's the possibility of an interaction.'' The Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on its south from Santa Clara River Valley to the north and and the Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. riverbed are home to many mountain lions, and earlier this year officials expressed concern that the recent wildfires might have forced the big cats into urban areas. The fatal mauling of a biker by a mountain lion in Orange County on Jan. 8 has raised alarm throughout Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, about the danger. Wall said alarm is generally an overreaction o·ver·re·act intr.v. o·ver·re·act·ed, o·ver·re·act·ing, o·ver·re·acts To react with unnecessary or inappropriate force, emotional display, or violence. , as mountain lions are common to the area and usually keep to themselves. ``Whenever we have an attack, it brings it to the forefront of people's attention. For someone like myself, this is pretty routine. It's fairly common countywide,'' Wall said. But Wall added that safety precautions should always be taken. ``Be aware that there may be mountain lions present in that area. ... Don't walk alone. Don't let unattended children (be out) in the area, especially in the low-light hours,'' Wall said. And if you come face-to-face with one of the big cats, don't run, Wall said. ``Make yourself look as big as possible. The experts (advise) raising your arms above your head, raising them and yelling. You don't want to run. You're wasting your time anyway, because no one's going to outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. a mountain lion.'' Nicholas Grudin, (661) 257-5255 nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com SAFETY TIPS Here are a few tips to secure a home in a wildlife area: --Remove unused pet food and water bowls at night. --Keep tight fitting Adj. 1. tight fitting - fitting snugly; "a tightly-fitting cover"; "tight-fitting clothes" tight-fitting, tightfitting, tightly fitting, skinny tight - closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "tight skirts"; "he hated tight starched collars"; lids on garbage cans and store in a secure area. --Harvest gardens and pick up windfall fruit. --Keep pet access doors locked. --Seal entry holes to buildings, eaves, air ducts and decks. --Prune tree branches 10 feet away from roofs and by keeping climbing plants cut. --Don't leave food and water out for animals. SOURCE: The Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control CAPTION(S): box Box: SAFETY TIPS (see text) |
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