Local News Comments

My wife and I were driving on Hwy 49 from Moke Hill to San Andreas on Monday evening when the mountain lion crossed the road in front of us. I couldn't believe what I saw. Just as we got parallel to the cat, it stopped, turned and looked at us.

And why didn't the deputy shoot it?

I have had mountain lions roaming my property off and on for over sixteen years that I know of. They haven't bothered me or my dogs. I leave them alone and they leave me alone. The closest I came to one of them was about ten or fifteen feet and it just wandered off. Now, if I had young children, I would definitely be concerned.

Take Care.
-West Point Woodsman

Why shoot it? Deputy must not have been a democrat.

News people....animals are around us....and they need to be controlled since we dont control human populations.Keep making laws and you better get real used to it.The,"It was there land first",argument is hog wash

You can visit this website and learn more about Mountain Lions and why we should leave them alone in peace. The deputies did the right thing by leaving it alone to go away into the night.

http://www.mountainlion.org/

why shoot it?

Im sure he did not shoot it because it posed no serious risk to the officers. We have shared habitat with them long enough to know when there is a problem. It did just what it was supposed to...run away. Thank goodness!

In fact, I commend the officers for their bravery and good judgement.

Yeah! Why not murder that beautiful animal? who's natural habitat has been taken. Lets just kill everything in this world that helps keep life flowing. DA

Repeal prop 190 now! Lions need to be controlled, if one is my backyard it will be shot immediately. I have dogs, cats and my nieces and nephews visit often so if a lion invades MY natural habit he is going down, end of story.

Fact: The Department of Fish & Game will decide whether the cat is a danger to humans. If it is, the cougar will be killed. Ya-hoos running around with dogs shooting cats out of trees does nothing to prevent human/lion encounters. The area with the highest harvest (Vancouver Island)has had the most attacks. Ask me to cite studies to prove this, I will, without hesitation because some folks don't make decisions based on the emotion of fear. If the cat charged the officer, then broke off the charge because he realized these ugly things on 2 feet aren't food, then LIVE AND LET LIVE.
IMjustsayin, DFG handles threats. Kill a cat who hasn't threatened you, studies show you place yourself in greater danger by freeing up territory for young cats, who are more likely to attack.
Sigh.

Look at all the violent fatal encounters with dogs and then look at the fatal encounters with mountain lions. 20 mountain lion fatalities since 1890.
The dogs and their owners are the problem not the wildlife. Dog fatalities in 2012 are already at 18 and there will be many more.
There are 186 deaths from dogs since 2005.
This is a serious eye opener, looks like most fatal dog attacks were the neighbors dogs like Mr. Jerry Yates killed August 22,2010;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States#Fatalities_reported_in_2012

here is the short list of 20 for the mountain lions;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

@jacquelinepaige77: Should the deputy have shot it, really? Mountain lions generally shy away from humans. Let's all be a little less aggressive.

@imjustsayin: What does Prop 190 (Commission on Judicial Performance) have to do with mountain lions? Or do you want to shoot judges on sight? And about "natural habitat": If you build your home in the hills, who is encroaching on whose habitat?

Wow! How cool for them to have seen one. I have seen several, in the forest and a few on my land and think how lucky I was to have seen them. Then I think about people who just want to 'take them out.' What a paranoid life these people must live.
I mean really, how many attacks have there been in Tuolumne County? You have a better chance of getting chomped by a great white shark in New Melones! If my animals get chewed by a lion, then that's my stupidity for not containing them and providing a safe environment in lion habitat. End of story.

I have to ask, what does Prop 190 have to do with this? Proposition 190 changed the composition of the state's Commission on Judicial Performance, and altered the way judges in the state are disciplined
Try Prop 117.

shoot it? so shoot every wild animal that just passes through from squirrel to mountain lion, possum to bear. even if they are just looking for water. hope i dont get shot on my way to the drinking fountain with this train of thought

Is it any wonder the guy they went to check on was no where in sight? He was either fifteen feet up a tree or two miles away by then.

Who died and appointed up regulators of every living thing?

I came face to face with one 2 years ago. He just walked away. They are self regulating. Take care of your business and they will do the same.

Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. You have a much better chance of getting injured or killed in a car accident or by a nut with a gun. Are you going to kill your car?

These creatures have as much right to live on this earth as we do, maybe more since they are not a plague on the earth as humans have shown themselves to be and don't destroy out of ignorance. I have known a lot of "wild animals" intimately and when treated with kindness and love they respond with more understanding and trust than most people. They are not "wild," just aware that people are to be feared because some of you think you have a right to kill whatever you fear and don't understand.

Let's just kill them all. I say we need to hunt them down with big packs of dogs. Wear them down then shoot em'. That way we won't have to worry about the problem anymore. While we're at it, lets do the same to those pesky bears that keep getting into my trash. I don't much care for skunks either. Really?

@imjustsayin Newsflash, you live in the mountains. You moved here by choice. Bear, Lions, and Bobcats are common place. You are more than welcome to move out to the city if you don't want to be near wildlife. They are not invading your habitat, you invaded theirs. And remember, there has not been a Lion attack in the area since the 70's as I recall. If they actually posed a threat, that number would show that.

Its good to hear the officer did not make a knee jerk reaction and try to shoot the animal for no reason. People need to remember that they were here thousands of years before we were and an attack on humans is exceedingly rare. Its far more likely you will be attacked by your neighbors dog than a Mountain Lion.

Well, the article says it charged at the deputy. Hmmmm, no danger there. HELLO - get real people. Maybe when there is an incident involving injury (or death) from the/a mountain lion you will want it dead then. Yeah, that's smart, wait until it has hurt someone.

If it is showing itself and being seen often then it is not as affraid of people as you seem to think it is.