Friday, 29 March 2024

Lakeport Unified takes precautions after mountain lion sighting; officials offer advice for keeping people, wildlife safe

LAKEPORT, Calif. – In response to a reported sighting of a mountain lion near the Lakeport Unified School District campus this week, the district has asked parents to take special measures to protect children on their way to school.

On Thursday afternoon, Superintendent April Leiferman put the campus in an instruction lockdown just before kindergarten dismissal after a woman driving to the school to pick up her child reported seeing a large mountain lion headed toward campus.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said that at 1:40 p.m. Thursday the parent was driving on Lakeshore Boulevard toward Lange Street when she saw what she believed was a mountain lion running from the wooded area near the lake across the road to the field adjacent to Lakeport Elementary School.

Rasmussen said the parent immediately school staff, who in turn notified the school resource officer and school administration.

Leiferman drove through all of the school campuses and said that all of the students were indoors within 60 seconds of the lockdown and Lakeport Police units quickly responded.

Rasmussen said three Lakeport Police units, two units from State Parks plus California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers responded to the scene.

“We wanted to take all precautions,” Rasmussen said.

He said the officers and wardens hiked around looking for the mountain lion. “They didn’t find any sign of it.”

Even so, as a precaution, Fish and Wildlife remained on scene until after school was out and all staff and students had left the campus, said Rasmussen.

Leiferman said she immediately sent out a text message and phone call to parents notifying them of the incident, and greeted parents who were arriving to pick up their children to explain the situation.

She said students were picked up in the classrooms by their parents or walked in a group to the buses.

After meeting with Rasmussen, Leiferman said school administration decided they weren’t comfortable having students walk home.

As a result, students who usually walk home either called for a ride or received a ride home in buses the staff secured to drive them, Leiferman said.

“It frightened me, to say the least,” Leiferman said of the situation.

Leiferman said parents were appreciative of the efforts taken, and while it may not have been convenient, it was safe, adding that she would always err on the side of the students’ safety.

Thursday’s sighting was the second mountain lion within the city limit in less than three months.

On the afternoon of June 19, a city employee reported seeing a young adult mountain lion in the Forbes Creek drainage south of the fairgrounds baseball fields and west of the Lakeport Public Works yard, as Lake County News has reported.

Police said the animal was seen in an area covered by heavy brush and grass, and wasn’t acting aggressive.

Rasmussen said bears also have been spotted in Lakeport over the years.

Leiferman said that due to her concerns about both of this year’s mountain lion sightings, she asked parents in the Thursday message to drive their children to school, have them ride a bus or walk in a large group until further notice.

She said parents are going to use their judgment, but that young children should not be walking alone and all children are safer in groups.

“I’m sure everybody’s going to keep an eye out,” she said.

Protecting people and wildlife

Mountain lions are parts of Lake County’s wildlife population, although they aren’t usually spotted in the county’s cities.

Wildlife officials report that mountain lions are quiet, solitary and elusive, and typically avoid people.

They also rarely attack people, although the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that conflicts between the animals and humans are increasing as California’s human population expands into mountain lion habitat.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Lt. Chris Stoots said that the last couple of years have shown a change in wild animals’ behavior patterns, “but there’s no specific reason that anyone is pointing to.”

Stoots said those changes are due to a variety of factors. A key issue is California’s growing population, which is resulting in habitat loss and encroachment as people move into more remote areas.

Also leading to different types of encounters are human practices, such as leaving out food and water for pets overnight and letting pets roam at night, which Stoots said creates food sources and, as a result, a more sustainable place for wildlife to live closer to human.

The last several years of drought also are likely to have played a role in animal behavioral changes, he said.

Stoots said juvenile wildlife are more likely to wander into areas close to humans due to lack of experience and curiosity, leading to greater potential for conflict and interaction.

Stoots said people also are more aware of encounters because of the speed and efficiency of communication, including social media, which he said is a good thing.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers the following tips for living in and staying safe in mountain lion country.

- Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
- Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request “A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage” from the agency’s offices.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
- Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats and other vulnerable animals.
- Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
- Do not hike, bike, or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk, and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.
- Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

For more information visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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