The residents of a small California town have been left on edge after a mountain lion killed a dog in the backyard of a home.
It was the early hours of Monday morning when the inhabitants of Downieville in the Sierra Nevada, which has a population of 290, woke up to the harrowing scene.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the mountain lion was ultimately shot and killed by a neighbor, but the incident has sparked fears there maybe be more on the prowl, setting off a debate about public safety and wildlife management in the region.
The attack occurred around 3am when a local resident let her two dogs out into the fenced backyard of her home.
Moments later, she spotted a pair of glowing eyes from a mountain lion staring back at her from the hillside. The mountain lion managed to jump over the fence and enter the yard.
When she called for her two dogs to come back inside, only one listened and returned to safety, while the other was seized by the predator.
‘The mountain lion had the dog in its mouth when it was shot and killed,’ Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the CDFW confirmed.
Despite the homeowner’s best efforts, the dog did not survive.
The residents of a small California town have been left on edge after a mountain lion (pictured) killed a dog in the backyard of a home. The lion itself was then shot dead by a resident
That mountain lion was one of three seen lurking in the woods at the rear of a residential home when it was spotted by a neighbor after it attacked a dog
The attack occurred in a residential area in Downieville, a small Sierra Nevada town, near Main Street, pictured
The killing occurred near a county park in the northern part of Downieville, a rural, mountainous area described by Tira as ‘prime mountain lion habitat.’
Two other mountain lions were also seen close by during the attack and were likely a mother and her offspring.
Downieville’s local newspaper, The Mountain Messenger, reported how two individuals were involved in the shooting.
The owner of the dogs, upon hearing a horrifying yelp, realized the gravity of the situation and quickly telephoned her husband, who was in Sacramento at the time.
He in tune alerted a neighbor, who arrived armed with a shotgun within minutes.
Despite firing a warning shot, the mountain lion jumped over a retaining wall with the dog still in between its jaws.
The neighbor then shot and injured the lion, causing it to drop the dog, but it was too late to save the pet.
The mountain lion was one of three that was spotted, believed to me a mother with her two cube
A family friend then arrived with a hunting rifle and delivered the final fatal shot, putting the lion out of its misery.
The aftermath was equally shocking. At around 5am, when the husband arrived home, he went to document the scene for authorities.
While examining the area, he noticed movement in the trees above the lion’s carcass.
Another mountain lion had returned to feed on the remains of its sibling.
After a brief standoff, the man fired a warning shot to scare the predator away.
The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office closed off the nearby county park, including its playground, tennis courts, and basketball court in response to the attack.
‘We urge all residents and visitors in the Downieville area to exercise caution and report any mountain lion sightings to the Sheriff’s Office,’ the department warned on Facebook.
The following day, another mountain lion sighting was reported some 50 miles away in the town of Loyalton.
Deputies responded to reports of the lion taking a pet cat just 300 yards from an elementary school.
The attack occurred in the middle of the night n the small California town
‘This incident happened just after school was released for the day,’ noted the Sheriff’s Office in a public safety announcement. Deputies attempted to euthanize the lion but ultimately used hazing techniques to drive it out of the neighborhood.
For longtime residents like Lydia Miyasato, who has lived in the area for 35 years, the increasing frequency of mountain lion sightings is deeply unsettling. ‘The presence of these predators feels different now,’ Miyasato said to SFGate.
She recalled a chilling encounter last summer when a mountain lion nearly killed her mother-in-law’s dog inside her home.
‘A bear will leave if you make enough sound,’ she said. ‘But a mountain lion, if you do eye contact, it makes them want to approach you more.’
Local officials and wildlife experts stress that mountain lions are a protected species under California law.
‘Public safety is a huge priority, but these are wild animals, and this is their habitat,’ said Tira. ‘There’s no need to be fearful about recreating outdoors, but you do need to pay attention to your surroundings and have a plan.’
Sheriff Mike Fisher has now advised locals to avoid jogging alone during dawn or dusk hours and to keep pets on a leash.
Last year, California recorded its first fatal mountain lion attack on an adult in 30 years.
