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# Mountain lion attacks are rare, but are becoming more frequent
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/mountain-lion-attacks-are-rare-but-are-becoming-more-frequent/
- Published: 2004-06-29T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:39:20.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: local, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By JOHN F. MULLER Special to the Daily Press*

Attacks by mountain lions are becoming more common for hikers who travel alone in the state’s backcountry.

Santa Monica resident Shannon Parker is the 12th victim of a mountain lion attack since 1986\. The California Department of Fish and Game recorded three attacks before that year, one in 1890 and two in 1909\. Parker suffered deep lacerations to her right thigh and injuries to both eyes during the attack, U.S. Department of Fish and Game officials said.

Of the 15 attacks documented in more than a century, six have resulted in fatalities, including all three of the attacks before 1986.

Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game, attributed the increase in attacks to a mountain lion population that has steadied in the wake of Proposition 117 in 1990, which made the animals a protected species. Mountain lions were bountied predators until 1963 and classified as game mammals after 1969\. Those designations allowed hunters to unnaturally limit the population, he said.

“We don’t manage them anymore because they’re not a game species,” Martarano said. “So there hasn’t been any reason for there to be a study. We just don’t know how big the mountain lion population is. But there are certain things that we are sure of. People have been building into mountain lion, bear and coyote habitats more and more, so (those animals) have to find other places to go.”

Department of Fish and Game estimates have put California’s mountain lion population between 4,000 and 6,000\. More than half of California is considered mountain lion habitat, Martarano said. Mountain lions can be found wherever deer are present, he said. Department officials reported that mountain lion activity and attacks peaked leading up to 1996\. There have been three attacks this year.

The department has a method for dealing with the animals.

“Every time someone sees a lion... we’re going to take action,” Martarano said. “There are two ways that mountain lions are taken in California. (First), if they attack property or livestock, then a homeowner can ask for a depredation permit and they get a time frame to kill the lion. Second, if we determine the lion is a public safety liability, we deal with it and kill it.”

Roy Stearns, a spokesman for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, said the department seeks to promote awareness to visitors through brochures, signs, flyers and ranger talks.

“Our approach is to be proactive,” he said. “To make sure our visiting public knows and respects what a mountain lion is all about.”

Department of Fish and Game officials recommend people who live in lion country keep pets and livestock secure, watch their children when they play outdoors and refrain from feeding wildlife. They also recommend people install outdoor lighting and avoid using plants that attract deer.

Martarano stressed that hikers remain in groups at all times when entering mountain lion country.

“Beware of your surroundings,” he said. “Don’t travel alone. There has been a consistent pattern in these attacks: The people have been alone. Even in the case of this girl, she was traveling back to the car by herself for sunglasses.”

Officials recommend hikers pay special attention to children because mountain lions have traditionally been drawn to smaller targets. Of the 15 victims the department has recorded since 1890, six have been 10 years old or younger.

In the event of encountering a mountain lion, it is best to stop moving and try to appear taller and larger by placing your arms in the air, Department of Fish and Game officials said. They also warn not to crouch or bend over.

Mountain lions are more likely to attack if confronted, and instinctually give chase to those who flee. Once attacked, it is best to try to remain standing and fight back with anything available, officials said.

Many mountain lion sightings are false alarms, Martarano said. Even when sightings are verified, they can often be explained as normal mountain lion behavior. Mountain lions usually hunt alone at night and normally prey on large animal like deer and elk. Their solitary nature makes it possible for people living in mountain lion country to never see the animals, Martarano said.

Only 3 percent of the reports relayed to the Department of Fish and Game result in a mountain lion being identified as an imminent threat to public safety, department officials said.

Martarano stressed that mountain lion attacks are extremely abnormal.

“Attacks are rare,” he said. “If you look at how many people have been killed by dogs since 1900, it’s probably over 1,000\. We’re talking about six fatalities (since 1890).”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 29, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/062904.pdf?ref=smdp.com)