Mountain Lion at Whiting

Hope they don't drop it off at the Main Divide....or anywhere else a MTB trail might be near...

 

Last update they put out, he is still at the Vet's office. The will decide today to release him back in the wild, find a home for him, or put him down. I guess they are keeping one trail closed to make sure his mommy is not looking for him. :-k

 

I would imagine he probably would go somewhere between Whiting and Main Divide.. not sure where else they would release him.. hopefully he is healthy and can be released..the fact that he blew off bean bags being shot at him has to raise a question or two among the professionals..

 

He'll remain in captivity the rest of his life.

Sadness...

 

I agree that a lion that had been this bold AND stares down the rangers when they are pelting it with bean bags is a problem. Relocating it a few miles away may not be a viable option.

For starters, it may just find its way right back to Whiting if it thinks that's a good home. There's certainly ample food & water there.

Secondly, mountain lions have a vast range, and from what I recall reading a while back I don't think they do well at sharing territory with other lions, especially when they are introduced after the fact and not born there.

The CA Dept of Fish & Game states that they do not relocate lions, for several reasons including potential danger to people (& presumably liability to DFG) in the new location. They do note that "...an animal is deemed to be a public safety threat if there is “a likelihood of human injury based on the totality of the circumstances.” Factors that are considered include the lion’s behavior and its proximity to schools, playgrounds and other public gathering places. The determination of whether an animal is a public safety threat is made by the DFG or local law enforcement personnel on the scene." In the case of Whiting, there is a park commonly used by families with young kids and pets right at the top of Concourse Road a few hundred yards from where this cat has been spotted, and of course there are houses all around the park.

Not sure if DFG would be involved in this case or if the county handles this entirely on their own, but more info is on the DFG site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion/lion_faq.html

edit: just saw the post that it will stay in captivity. Sad, but better than the other likely outcome.

 

Agreed.

Relocation doesn't work with an animal that can move hundreds of miles. Especially male lions. Putting him in another's range will probably lead to a fatal fight with the resident male. Just look at the Glendale bear that's been moved twice and keeps coming back - he'll be killed or zoo'd soon I bet.

This lion's behavior is a bit odd, but aren't all teenagers?

I doubt they'll find some place for this one other than a total bleeding heart save them all place. At 100 lbs he's nearly full grown and wouldn't adapt well to an instituition. They usually take orphaned cubs. Odds are in a timeline where most have forgotten about this animal, he'll be put down.

 

Here's a study that might shed a little light on the cat's "odd" behavior--in a park that's even more crowded than Whiting (at least in the Valley):

http://www.sierranaturenotes.com/naturenotes/Puma.htm

One salient excerpt: It is significant that none of the puma sighting reports we examined mentioned any sign of aggressive behavior towards humans. In fact, most reports implied the puma was oblivious to people, despite their proximity; often only meters away. On three occasions, we used radio telemetry to follow and observe pumas at close range. Although they were aware of us, none of these animals exhibited any reaction to our presence. In another case, we were led to an un-collared puma by its calls and tracks. This animal also appeared indifferent to our presence.

 

Here's more on the lion and why he can't be relocated:
http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/arti...pound-mountain-lion?ncid=newsltuspatc00000003

 

My boss watches tv in her office.. Channel 4 news just reported that the lion is actually a lactating female... cubs in the area????? more misinformation?

 

Copied directly from the patch article "Rangers closed the Orange County wilderness park Monday to trap what they suspected was a lactating mountain lion seen several times over the past week so she can be relocated. However, they captured instead a 2-year-old male puma, which will be very difficult to relocate"

 

which would explain why she wouldn't run despite the bean bag attack......Ai yie yie. Seems like we live in an age where she could have been GPS tagged and we all could just avoid her with a smartphone app. Find your cougar??? :lol:

nevermind, just saw the post above.

 

I've been checking this thread every hour to see how many pages it would take for the first joke about cougars to finally make its appearance. This has to be a record. .

 

At your nearest dimly lit drinking establishment with plenty of Mercedes, Lexus, and Range Rovers in the parking lot. Beware! Sometimes they get pissed when you go to pet them!

 

Then you are petting them wrong!

 

Maybe they will release this one in the Anaheim Hills area.. when I hear Cougar I naturally think of the FoxFire..

 

Oh boy, this thread is going downhill fast...

 

No mountain lion sighting on Serrano Cow Trail today, but did spot two rangers in the bush armed with cameras.

 

Well, what do you call a mommy cougar?

 

Were you on the Cow Trail?
I did the loop with the Line Shack detour. No Ranger Rick sightings.
Not sure everyone else followed the detour.

 

Maybe last update... from Lake Forest Patch. Kinda sad to see him in that cage... http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/meet-the-whiting-ranch-mountain-lion

[video]http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/meet-the-whiting-ranch-mountain-lion#video-10690910[/video]