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Samantha Hayes RepoprtingA Provo woman, walking out to her car alone, comes face to face with a mountain lion. The woman was leaving a friend's home when the animal jumped up onto her car.
Wildlife resources is hearing these stories over and over, wild animals venturing into residential areas. They're cold, hungry, and in this case, aggressive.
April Black, Provo: “I came down a very steep driveway and just as I got to the car, I was about to put my hand on the handle, and I saw what I thought was a german shepherd."
When she heard it scream and growl she knew it was something different entirely.
April: “I thought of that scream all night."
April Black had her run-in with the mountain lion at a friend's house in Lindon. The animal jumped up onto her car as she was about to drive away.
April: “I was very shaken and she could tell. And I called her and said, ‘Just be careful when you go out.’"
One explanation is that mountain lions are simply following their food source, deer and other animals, down into the areas where people live.
Joe Abbott, Conservation Officer: “This time of year the deer are moving farther into town and so the mountain lions follow them."
In American Fork, Jolene Balantyne saw a mountain lion staring face to face with her cat.
Jolene Ballantyne, American Fork: “About two feet not including the tail, so it’s a younger one."
Joe Abbott, Conservation Officer: “They do eat stray cats or any cats or dogs that are out."
People are encountering more mountain lions, but that may be because we are closer to their territory.
Joe Abbott: “I don't think it’s made a difference with mountain lions coming down. The difference is people are building further up on the hill so the deer are coming into the city more."
Several dead deer have been found in backyards in both Lindon and American Fork. Wildlife resources says they are keeping track of the that and other cougar sightings.
The Department of Wildlife Resources says to prevent conflicts with cougars:
Do not feed deer or raccoons.
Don't leave pet food out and keep pets inside at night.
Close barns and sheds.
Don't allow children to play alone in foothill locations, especially at dawn and dusk.
If you observe threatening cougar behavior, contact Wildlife Resources.
