It’s a typical, sunny
Western day, and you’re outside gardening when you notice a big cat
eyeing you intently and slinking slowly towards you. What should
you do?
Don’t act defenseless, says Jon Rachael,
regional wildlife manager in Idaho. “Almost invariably, mountain
lions attack for food, so if you play dead, that only makes the
snack go down that much quicker,” says Rachael, who contributed to
a new report by Idaho Fish and Game on handling mountain lion
encounters.
Fish and Game wrote
Encounters of the Feline Kind: Mountain Lions and
You, because, like most Western states, Idaho is
experiencing an increase in mountain lion numbers that most likely
relates to growing deer populations. Simultaneously, more people
are living and recreating in lion habitat. Fatal encounters are
extremely rare, but as the cats meet more people, they may become
less fearful of humans. A desperate cat, says Rachael, might
contemplate a person as prey.
In case of an
encounter, the report says, act large and aggressive. Fight back if
attacked, and don’t run away, because running may trigger the
instinct to chase, the way moving a string will lead a house cat to
pounce. The two-page report also offers tips for protecting pets
and livestock and creating landscapes and yards that discourage
mountain lion attacks.
For a free copy, contact
Idaho Fish and Game at 208/334-3700 or download it at
www2.state.id-/us/fishgame/info/ProgramsInfo/-wildlife&you/lions/-mlions.htm.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline How to handle the big cats.
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