On average, close to half a million people visit Redwood National Park each year. But few consider the fact that they share the trails, campsites, and beaches with mountain lions. Not that there is anything patently dangerous about this shared real estate – mountain lion sightings across the
entire park average about 30 a year, and attacks on people are extremely rare. Still, it’s important to know a bit about this magnificent cat so you can recognize their paw prints (in which case I would probably start hiking in the opposite directions) and also know what to do if you ever spot one (run? stand your ground? wimper like a baby?).
The National Park Service, the Mountain Lion Foundation, and local photographer Ma
rio Vaden have all the facts you need to know to be alert to their presence, understand their motivation and prey instincts, and to stay safe.
The National Park Service describes mountain lions as “strict carnivores, although they will consume carrion when available. In Redwood National and State Parks, mountain lions prey mainly upon black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk. There have been two mountain lion attacks on people in the parks, in 2009 and 2013. In one case a hiker sustained injuries but survived, in the other attack there were no injuries. In both cases younger, sub-adult animals were involved.
The number of mountain lions in Redwood National and State Parks is unknown. A study with radio-collared
lions indicated female home ranges (territories) are between 47 and 73 mi² (122 and 189 km²) and male home ranges are between 130 and 275 mi² (337 and 712 km²). Home ranges may overlap, however, mountain lions normally do not “share” areas of overlap at any one time. The number of individual mountain lions observed, as reported by visitors and staff each year between 2000 and 2012, ranged from 7 to 37 with an average of 27 lions observed per year. What proportion of the population these observations represent is currently unknown. It is assumed, based on the number of observations reported by park staff and visitors, that the mountain lion population here is healthy. Mountain lions occur throughout the parks and may be seen in virtually all habitat types including forests, prairies, and near the beaches, although areas with overhead cover are preferred. With the exception of females with kittens, mountain lions are solitary.
Mountain lions are not managed in Redwood National and State Parks, although biologists keep track of all lion observations, and respond to any reports of close encounters with humans. Mountain lions exhibit a range of behaviors that include, most commonly, running away at the sight of a human; “following”, which is often interpreted as animal curiosity; and more aggressive types of behavior often considered defensive in nature. Biologists or park rangers conduct interviews with mountain lion observers using a series of questions on a standard form; this information is kept in a database.
The Park Service goes on to advise hikers on best practices to staying safe if they ever encounter a mountain lion face-to-face:
Prevent an encounter
- If possible, do not hike alone.
- Keep children in sight; do not let them run ahead of you on the trail.
- Keep a clean camp.
- Be alert to your surroundings.
- Report all lion sightings to a ranger immediately.
If you encounter a mountain lion
- DO NOT RUN.
- Do not crouch or bend over.
- Stand up and face the mountain lion.
- Pick up young children.
- Appear large; wave your arms or jacket.
- Make noise.
- Slowly back away, do not turn your back to the animal.
If a mountain attacks
- FIGHT BACK aggressively.
- Shout and make noise.
- Do not turn your back to the animal.
And local photographer Mario Vaden describes the tracks of a mountain lion on his web site:
- Look for overall round shape of the track, common to most felines. The mountain lion’s front foot has 4 toes and heel that registers, which means they make an imprint.
- The front foot is larger and more asymmetrical than the rear.
- The palm of the track is almost twice the size of the digits, unlike canine tracks.
- The heel has a dimple in the middle at the top of the pad just under the two middle toes.
- Between toes and palm pad, is a curved ridge, which some trackers call a linked ridge. Canines have a diamond or pyramid shape in this area.
- Toe shape is oval, and the most striking characteristic is that toes are offset. They point in a different direction from the heel pad with one toe ahead or forward of others.
- One of the outer 2 toes is forward of the other. Dog toes point straight or slightly toward each other.
- If you try to draw an X between a mountain lion’s toe pads, note that the X crosses into the heel pad.
- If you draw an imaginary X between dog toe pads, the X does not go into the foot pad. Sometimes you can see claw marks left by a dog above toe pads of the print, not always obvious. The X trick is not really needed. It’s doubtful you will be casting fresh tracks: but just hiking.
At the end of the day you might ask yourself are mountain lions dangerous and should their presence in the park influence one’s actions in the park and on the trail? The Mountain Lion Institute answers the question this way.
Are mountain lions dangerous? To deer, yes! To people, not so much. Human encounters with mountain lions are rare and the risk of an attack is infinitely small. You are more likely to drown in your bathtub, be killed by a pet dog, or hit by lightning. If lions had any natural urge to hunt people, there would be attacks every single day. Instead, they avoid us.
But if you live, work, or play in cat country, be alert! Avoid walking alone between dusk and dawn when lions are most active. Keep your children and pets close to you. Never approach or corner a mountain lion (or any wild animal). If you do encounter a mountain lion, STOP. DO NOT RUN. Unlike safety advice for encountering bears, do not act timid or play dead in front of a cat.
Instead: Maintain eye contact. Stand tall. Look bigger by opening your coat or raising your arms. Slowly wave your arms and speak firmly. Throw items at the lion if necessary. Give the cat room and time to move on.
In the rare event of an attack, fight back. Most people succeed in driving the mountain lion away.