Wow and it goes on still, I just love our fish and game morons and the idiot's that's offer they opinion's to the paper.
Officials: Mountain lion not a threat
By TANG LOR -DN Staff Writer
Updated: 10/07/2010 07:09:33 AM PDT
Until the mountain lion or multiple lions reportedly seen around the city is declared an imminent threat law enforcement cannot amp up their efforts to remove or rid the animal.
To declare the mountain lion a public nuisance is something neither Police Chief Paul Nanfito or the California Department of Fish and Game will do, officials said during the Red Bluff City Council meeting Tuesday.
Mere sightings are not classified as a threat, DFG Lt. Scott Willems said.
Instead Willems is advising people to educate themselves and learn how to coexist with mountain lions.
No hard evidence
The police does not want to discredit witnesses who have reported sightings, but they have not seen the mountain lion or found any hard evidence that it was there, Nanfito said. In only two separate instances did a police sergeant and a sheriff's deputy actually see the mountain lion.
More than a dozen sightings have been reported since late July. In the most recent report Friday, near Sacred Heart School tracks were visible but determined to be old. The use of tracking dogs that day did not result in any evidence that the lion had been in the area recently.
Mountain lions are predators who kill their prey, bury it and feed on that kill for a number of days. If DFG can find a kill site, they could possibly find the mountain lion, but so far, they have not located a kill site, Willems said.
I believe it is here, but we have not come up with any conclusive evidence that it's here, Willems said. Every time it's been sighted, it has faded off like a phantom to where it comes from.
No harm, no foul means no action Though it is not an answer many people want to hear because of the potential for an encounter, the mountain lion is not a threat, Willems said. In all reported cases, it has retreated instead of advancing on humans.
Given that this lion has not shown any aggression, it's a no harm, no foul cat, Willems said.
Until it becomes a threat, DFG is governed by public trust laws to protect wildlife. Measures to trap and relocate or shoot the animal will not be taken at this time nor is it viable given the urban environment, he said.
DFG does not want to use dogs to chase the mountain lion because it could force a confrontation with humans. Also, given the urban setting with many fences, if the mountain lion jumps over a fence, dogs will not be able to and will lose the chase.
Trapping and removing the mountain lion could lead to some liability issues. A curious child could get caught in the trap-door style cage.
Relocating the mountain lion could cause a problem in the new location, and DFG would incur liability for having placed it there.
What is being done
Rio Street residents Donna and Jason Long said the mountain lion has been through their backyard, and it is harmless.
Our cat plays with the mountain lion through the fence, Donna Long said.
She has been face-to-face with the mountain lion, and when she ran away, it did not follow or attack. Although she does not feel threatened, there are other people, such as transients who frequent the alley, who may not be aware of the situation, she said.
She urges the city to step up and the police and DFG to work together to solve the issue.
The city is undermining the issue while DFG is just trying to keep everyone calm, but there needs to be a collaborative effort, she said.
Nanfito and Willems said they are doing everything they can within reason of the law and will continue to respond to reported sightings, monitor and watch for the mountain lion.
DFG has identified several areas where cameras can be put to capture sightings. But again, the city's urban environment makes it a tough, Willems said. DFG is concerned the cameras, which are valued at $400, might be stolen or damaged.
Jason Long offered to have DFG mount a camera somewhere high on his property if they are concerned about losing the camera.
Willems said the camera is heat and motion censored and has to be placed close enough to detect movement.
Learning to coexist
Mountain lions will always be present in Red Bluff and sightings have been made every year.
This year there is just a particularly high cluster of sightings, which has been played up by the media, Willems said.
With the media giving it so much attention, everyone thinks that anything that goes bump in the night is a mountain lion, when in fact mountain lions in Red Bluff is the norm given the natural habitat that provides ample deer and water, he said.
Having mountain lions in city limits is not unique to Red Bluff, as he has had to deal with at least three in Redding in the last 10 years, and mountain lions are common throughout the state, Willems said.
Since 1890, there have only been 16 attacks, with 6 of those being fatal. Two of the fatals were not a direct result of the attack but other side effects, such as rabies.
Your odds of getting bitten by a rattle snake or being struck by lightning is actually greater, Willems said.
People are encouraged to educate themselves about mountain lions and how to coexist with them.
For information, visit the DFG website at
www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html.
Brochures are available through the city's parks and recreation department at the Community and Senior Center.