Mountain lion sighted in local hills

LEFT BEHIND- A mountain lion paw print was seen at Sage Ranch. After several years without any mountain lion sightings in the local mountains, wildlife scientists and conservationists are saying big cat activity in the area has begun to increase.

The National Park Service regularly monitors mountain lion activity, fielding calls from residents, photographing tracks, and setting up cameras in high-profile areas.

NPS had been tracking the movement of two collared mountain lions- also called cougars- until they died two years ago.

"It was most likely secondary poisoning," said Ray Sauvajot, chief of planning, science and resource management at the NPS. "They probably consumed a coyote that had recently eaten a poisoned rat or ground squirrel. We've not detected another animal up there since they died."

But recently, NPS cameras obtained a shot of a cat in the upper Las Virgenes-Simi area.

"We've been monitoring in Simi Hills for a while, several years," Sauvajot said. "From a conservation perspective, it's great news that a lion has occupied that territory. That means they are still moving between Santa Susana and Simi Hills. If they are going to survive, they need to be still moving between those mountains."

Another sighting came Jan. 13 when a caller reported that a lion had taken shelter in an abandoned building near the Chatsworth Reservoir property. The Department of Fish and Game, the sheriff's department, the Department of Water and Power and NPS representatives all arrived on the scene.

"No one really knows how the animal got there," Sauvajot said. "He probably just wandered in, and then got kind of frightened when people saw him and surrounded him. . . . Once he got a clear path and it got darker, he headed up into the hills."

Sauvajot said there was some talk about trying to collar the lion, but that it would be too risky for the animal.

"When you tranquilize an animal, it doesn't immediately go down," Sauvajot said. "When the dart hits, he runs for a minute before going to sleep. We were near developed areas, and he could have taken off into streets or homes. It was a great opportunity, but it was just too risky."

Two days later Sauvajot received another mountain lion sighting call from employees at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Sauvajot said it was probably the same cat from the photos and the abandoned building.

Mary Wiesbrock, the Agoura Hills resident who heads Save Open Space, said she was concerned the newly sighted lion might be in danger of death by rat poison, too. Wiesbrock said she hope people who need to control rodents will consider using alternative methods such the Rat Zapper. When a rodent crawls into a box, it is zapped, much like a criminal would be by a stun gun used by a police officer.

Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks recommends owls for natural rodent control. The birds don't build traditional nests, but often inhabit old nests or boxes, according to Parks' son, who did his Eagle Scout project on owl boxes. Owls eat about two rodents each day, Parks said. Since a box can hold a pair and their owlettes, its residents can eat about 1,500 rodents a year.

The NPS requests that anyone spotting a mountain lion call the visitors center at (805) 370-2301.

Acorn Bits

If you spot a mountain lion, the National Park Service strongly requests that you call the NPS visitors center at (805) 370-2031.

Never approach a mountain lion in the wild.