CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN LIONS

According to wildlife biologists, a camper or hiker's chances of being killed by a mountain lion are less than his or her chances of being struck by lightening. Still, encounters between cougars and humans have increased over the past decade.

Attacks on pets are fairly common in California's rural counties, and confrontations between lions and assorted gold dredgers, deer hunters, mountain bikers, and even golfers occur now and then. Mountain lions killed two Californian trail-users in 1994, the first such deaths in 85 years. The big cats are suspected in a number of human disappearances.

Gun advocacy groups and several legislators blame the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, a voter-approved proposition that banned trophy lion hunting and set aside money for wildlife protection. Naturalists disagree, ascribing the increase in sightings to encroaching housing developments, more use of hiking trails, and media interest in the topic.

The problem seems to arise when these 90 to 150-pound kitties lose their fear of human beings and start snatching pets from people's backyards. If a hiker or jogger comes bouncing down a trail where one of these human-acclimated beasts is stalking deer, it could choose to pounce rather than turning tail and running, as mountain lions normally do.

Mountain lions inhabit most wildlands in California, including state and national parks. To prevent tangles with cougars, and to increase the chances of survival in the unlikely event that one pops up on the trail, the California Department of Fish and Game advises wilderness visitors to:

1. Refrain from hiking alone.
2. Keep children close and within eyesight at all times. If a mountain lion is encountered, pick kids up off the ground without bending down or looking away.
3. Avoid approaching a lion. Give it every chance to escape.
4. Avoid running from a mountain lion. Its instinct is to chase.
5. Avoid crouching or bending over in areas where mountain lions might be lurking. This could make you look like four-legged prey.
6. Appear larger if confronted. Raise arms, maintain eye contact, open your jacket, shout, wave branches or throw stones.
7. Fight back hard if attacked. Californians have fended off marauding cougars with rocks, sticks, caps, jackets, bikes, and bare hands. Remain standing if possible, and always face the animal.
8. Report all sightings to rangers, DFG officials, or deputies.