Officials close US park following concerning sightings: ‘Super out-of-the-ordinary’
A wildlife park has been forced to close its gates to visitors after several worrying encounters with a mountain lion.
What’s going on?
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Southern California closed in early November after two reported mountain lion sightings. Hello SoCal. The sightings occurred on November 3 and 4, and in both incidents, mountain lions were observed pursuing individuals who reported the incident before running away. It is unclear whether it is the same mountain lion or two different mountain lions.
The park does not usually close when mountain lions are spotted, but given the animal’s behavior in these situations, the OC Parks department erred on the side of caution and closed the park.
OC Parks, which oversees Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, worked with experts from the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center to gather more information about mountain lions and their behavior. They used cameras to track their movements and conducted field work, including track and distribution searches.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park reopened on November 26. OC Parks website.
Why is it important to see a mountain lion?
The mountain lions’ behavior was described as “unusual” by Fish and Wildlife spokesman Cort Klopping. Los Angeles Times It’s about closing the park. Mountain lions tend to run away from people, so much so that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked, the news outlet said.
This means the mountain lion is attracted to or drawn towards people in the park for many reasons, including curiosity, protecting cubs, or in a worst-case scenario, looking for food. These foods do not involve humans, but people are attacked after getting too close, either accidentally or on purpose.
Lack of resources resulting from changes in climate and destruction of the natural environment by humans are common factors that bring animals and humans closer together. BBC. It may also happen that people in parks deliberately get too close to animals such as bears and bison, which can result in some animals being euthanized if they attack people.
Fortunately, mountain lion attacks are incredibly rare; Only seven have been recorded in California, including one in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, according to the LA Times.
What is done about mountain lion sightings?
With the park reopening, officials took the opportunity to remind people that: Take precautions while walking To avoid encounters with mountain lions. These include never walking alone, staying with your group, especially with children, making noise to alert mountain lions to your presence, and hiking during daylight hours when mountain lions are less active.
If you encounter a mountain lion, it is very important not to run, but instead to stand your ground, make noise, and wave your arms to make yourself look larger. You can also throw objects at him to scare him.
Get TCDs free newsletters For easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and win up to $5,000 in neat TCD-exclusive upgrades Reward Club.
