Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!

By Liz Weslander

Saturday, January 13, 2007

During a recent trip to Tucson, our family set out to hike the historically accesible and family-freindly Sabino Canyon. Upon entering the park, the ranger in the toll booth handed us a bright green piece of paper with the heading: Problem Mountain Lions!

The paper stated that although mountain lions have lived in the canyon throughout history, behaviors spotted recently in the cats in the area - including being active during daylight hours, being unafraid of humans, and stalking humans - was cause for concern.

Now, I know that in the grand scheme of things my chances of getting attacked by a mountain lion are slim, but an informative article on mountain lion behavior that I read recently said it best: "Something about even a small chance of being eaten by a large carnivore wrests the human imagination away from the logic of numbers."

While the news of mountain lions lurking while we hiked the canyon was a bit unsettling, it was the phrases like: "Nine out of ten humans attacked by mountain lions are children," and "KEEP YOUR CHILDREN CLOSE AT ALL TIMES!", or "If you pick up small children with you, do so without bending or turning away," which were peppered throughout this flier, that really appealed to our primal fears.

To make a long story short, we hiked the canyon anyway, and we survived, but I'd be lying if I said it was a relaxing hike.

I'd also be lying if I said that this episode didn't make me consider the mountain lion sightings around here a little more carefully. (This one at the levee was particularly frightening).

Again, I know our family is in more danger when we hop into the car each day, than we are when we hike around Clinton Lake, but if the small chance of being eaten by a carnivore makes a person illogical, then the small chance of your child being eaten by a carnivore makes one downright paranoid.

I mean, what are the chances that a mountain lion is skulking around Hidden Valley, that large wooded acreage on the west side of town where all the Girl Scouts hang out? Maybe it's time to reconsider those evening snipe hunts! Or maybe it's time to work this information into one of those safety badges:

What to do if you see a mountain lion:

Do not approach the cat

Do not run

Do not bend over or crouch down

Maintian eye contact with the lion at all times

Make yourself appear larger and more agreesive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, and throw rock or sticks. Speak loudly and slowly.

Back away slowly. Do not run.

To close, I will quote the chipper article I referenced earlier:

"Lastly, we want to emphasize that puma, like other cats, are highly individualistic. Some are more aggressive than others. There are no guarantees that anything will work, or that something that worked once will work again. Good Luck!"

Gin and Juice Boxes is a regular feature at the local parenting website freestatefamily.com

Lawrence.com blogs are collections of short, frequently updated posts by members of the Lawrence community. Blog writers, and comment posters, are solely responsible for what they say. (Please take the time to read our full policy.)

If you're interested in writing a blog on lawrence.com, send us a couple of sample entries.

Comments

lawrence.com does not necessarily agree with comments posted below - responsibility lies with the relevant user alone. Read our full policy

Posted by lori (anonymous) on January 13, 2007 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

When we were in Colorado this summer, we noticed several similar signs. They was a little difference, though. The quote at the bottom said something along the lines of

"In the event that a mountain lion attacks you, FIGHT BACK. DON'T GIVE UP!"

Great. Thanks for the advice.

Posted by Todd (anonymous) on January 13, 2007 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I know the rangers these days can't suggest it but it seems a firearm would be really useful in this situation.

Posted by clayhill70 (anonymous) on January 13, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

When planning a hike in these areas its always important to include someone you know you can out run. Pack lightly.

Posted by Dazie (Aileen Dingus) on January 13, 2007 at 6:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Clayhill- That made me snort. :)

I must say, this sort of thing is why I love my sedentary lifestyle. I don't think anyone sitting in front of the TVC has ever been attacked by a mountain lion. ;)

Posted by Dazie (Aileen Dingus) on January 13, 2007 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

TVC? What the heck was I thinking? It appears that people sitting in front of their computers _are_ attacked by random gusts of illiteracy...

Posted by mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) on January 14, 2007 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Todd--my thoughts *exactly*. Woo hoo, concealed carry! I'm gonna pop me a cap in some ignorant mountain lion ASS!
Sorry. I think I was reincarnated from a time and place where shouting "Woo hoo!" and shooting up the ceiling was an acceptable means of expressing enthusiasm.

Posted by feeble (anonymous) on January 15, 2007 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I grew up in Tucson (used to live off of North Allwood Place, which is near North Sabino Canyon Road, wasn't much development out that way 20 years ago.) Went back about four years ago and was sad to see how much the city had grown into the surrounding foothills and scrubland.

In any event, never had much trouble with mountain lions that I can recall. We did take weekend bike trips up the canyon as well as lots of summer hiking around Mount Lemon. Coyote, Javelina and Gila Monsters, yea, big cats not so much.

Posted by liz (Liz Weslander) on January 15, 2007 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Apparently, people living around Sabino Canyon sometimes see moutnain lions in their back yard.I'm not sure who is on whose territory in that case.

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!

Comments

Post a comment