UPDATE: Mountain Lion Sightings Reported in San Anselmo, Ross

By Jessica Mullins

Police officials sent out a Nixle alert Friday morning after two separate mountain lion sightings were reported within 45 minutes of each other in Ross Valley. 

A cougar was spotted around 8:10 a.m. in the backyard of a home on Forbes Avenue, which is located near the San Anselmo – San Rafael border above Red Hill Avenue. 

Central Marin Police Authority Sgt. Hamid Khalili said a resident in the 40 block of Forbes Avenue came into their backyard and saw the mountain lion. The cougar jumped over the fence and ran into a creek that runs parallel to Forbes Avenue, he said. 

Khalili said the resident was “100 percent” sure it was a mountain lion. “She said it weighed between 80 to 100 pounds.” 

Khalili said police officials notified the San Rafael Police department because Forbes Avenue ends in the San Rafael jurisdiction.

Ross Police officials also received a report of a sighting in their town an hour prior, according to the Nixle alert.

Ross Police Chief Erik Masterson said a resident told police they saw a mountain lion on Shady Lane, between Lagunitas Road and Southwood Avenue, around 7:30 a.m. It was the only mountain lion report the police received and there haven’t been any other cougar sightings lately, he said.

 It’s rare to see a cougar in Marin — bobcat sightings are much more common. Do you know how to tell the difference between a bobcat and mountain lion?

If you do see a mountain lion, don’t panic and do not run.

Rob Ruiz, Marin County Parks chief park ranger and Zara McDonald, executive director of the Sausalito-based Felidae Conservation Fund, gave us information on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion in the wild and how you can avoid them: 

If you see a mountain lion:   

·       Appear as big as possible

·       Maintain eye contact

·       Do not approach the animal

·       Do not run or turn your back

·       Pick up children

·       Speak loudly and firmly

·       Throw rocks and sticks, etc.

·       Fight back if attacked

·       Try to take a picture of the wild feline so the sighting can be verified

·       Do not call 911, instead contact Felidae Conservation Fund at (415) 229-9335 or info@bapp.org, or call the Department of Fish and Game office for the Bay Delta region (707) 944-5500.

There are also steps residents can take to avoid drawing mountain lions or bobcats to their property: 

·       Keep food sources (including pet food) out of the yard

·       Keep bushes trimmed so mountain lions and bobcats can’t easily hide

·       Keep domestic pets safe at night

·       Keep garbage clean, because it will draw rats and rodents that will draw bobcats

And finally, steps you can do when you’re outdoors to avoid mountain lions:

·       Avoid hiking, biking or running alone (“It’s never good to jog or bike alone if you are way out in the woods, even if you fall and break your ankle,” Ruiz said.)

·       Avoid being outside between dusk and dawn

·       Keep children close

·       Never approach a cougar of any size, especially a kitten

·       Avoid deer carcasses (They can feast on one deer carcass for a week, hiding it in bushes and staying in the area. If you ever encounter a deer carcass in bushes with leaves and twigs on top of it, don’t stick around, Ruiz said.)

Have you seen a mountain lion or bobcat recently? Tell us in the comments! 

ALSO: 

Mountain Lions Vs. Bobcats: Do You Know the Difference?

Mountain Lion Encounters: What To Do and How to Avoid Them