Trends in Mountain Lion Encounters

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) logs hundreds of Wildlife Incident Reports annually related to mountain lion sightings. On average, fewer than three percent of these reports result in a mountain lion being identified as an imminent threat to public safety and killed under the DFG’s Wildlife Public Safety Guidelines.

The vast majority of these reports (79 percent) are resolved by providing information about the natural history and behavior of mountain lions. Another 18 percent of cases are legitimate threats posed by mountain lions that can be resolved by modifying human behavior. (Percentages are based on analysis of five years’ worth of data.) Below is a breakdown of the mountain lions killed for public safety reasons from 2001 through 2005.

2005 -

Butte - 1 female
Fresno - 1 female
Plumas - 1 female
Riverside - not reported
San Luis Obispo - 1 male

2004  -  717 incidents / 13 safety incidents

Alameda 1 male
Butte 1 male
Fresno 0 taken
Humboldt 1 male
Mendocino 1 unknown
Napa 1 male
Orange 1 male
Santa Clara 1 male / 1 female
Siskiyou 3 female / 1 unknown
Tulare 1 female

2003  -  419 total incidents / 3 safety incidents

El Dorado 0 taken
Sacramento 1 male
Tuolumne 1 female
Orange County 1 female

2002  -  444 total incidents / 14 safety incidents

El Dorado 1 male
Los Angeles 1 female
Mendocino 1 male
Merced 2 females
Monterey 1 female
Riverside 1 male
San Luis Obispo 1 unknown
Siskiyou 2 males, 1 female, 1 unknown
Stanislaus 1 male
Tuolumne 1 female

2001  -  469 total incidents / 15 safety incidents

Calaveras 0 taken
Humboldt 1 male
Lake 1 female
Los Angeles 1 male
Nevada 1 male
Orange 1 male
Plumas 1 female
San Bernardino 1 male
San Diego 1 female
Shasta 1 male
Siskiyou 1 male
Tuolumne 0 taken
Ventura 1 male

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updated 07/05