Mountain Lion Warning From UC Police

Signs warning of mountain lions have been posted at two dorms near the Greek Theater at UC Berkeley following three recent sightings of a mountain lion in the area, UC Berkeley officials said.

Campus police issued an alert Tuesday about the cougar sightings, Cal officials said. The most recent case – around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, July 19 – was the third sighting since June, all by the same security guard at a construction site on the western side of Stern Hall, the campus said.

"Each time, the lion appeared to be trailing a deer, and once was seen with two cubs," according to a campus news release citing what was reported by UC police.

The warning signs were posted at Stern Hall and Foothill Student Housing.

Mountain lions are seen from time to time in the hills above the Berkeley campus, as they are in the hilly areas of El Cerrito. 

UC police issued safety alerts in January following a sighting at the campus' Smyth-Fernwald apartment complex and two sightings the previous month at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. A year earlier, campus police issued a safety alert after a mountain lion was seen near a building at the lab.

In El Cerrito, a resident living near Moeser Lane and Contra Costa Drive reported seeing a mountain lion on two occasions in his backyard on Feb. 19, according to an alert from the Arlington Neighbors email list.

A year ago, the El Cerrito's police department issued a warning to residents to be on the lookout after finding an injured deer that had been attacked by a young mountain lion in 5800 block of Charles Street in El Cerrito.

A day after the deer was found, El Cerrito resident Julian Kaye and his wife  about 6/10's of mile outside El Cerrito's eastern border, he told Patch at the time.

UC Berkeley police offered the following suggestions for reducing the chances of mountain lion encounters:

• Avoid hiking alone, especially between dusk and dawn, when lions normally do their hunting. Make plenty of noise while you hike so as to reduce the chances of surprising a lion.
• Always keep children in sight while hiking and within arm’s reach in areas that can conceal a lion. Mountain lions seem to be drawn to children.
• Hike with a good walking stick; this can be useful in warding off a lion.

If you do encounter a mountain lion, campus police recommend:

• Do not approach a lion, especially if it is feeding or with its young. Most lions will avoid confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
• Stay calm and face the lion. Do not run, because this may trigger the lion’s instinct to attack. Try to appear larger by raising your hands.
• Pick up small children so they don’t panic and run. This will also make you appear larger. Avoid bending over or crouching.
• If the lion acts aggressively, throw rocks, branches or whatever can be obtained without turning your back or bending over.
• Fight back if attacked. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. People have successfully fought back with rocks, sticks or bare hands.

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