they just want to be left alone. and i do leave them alone. i'll go out of my way to stay out of their way.


highly overrated. says here

* In California, from 1986 through 1998, exactly two people died from mountain lion attacks, whereas in one year alone, over 4,000 people died in traffic accidents, including 800 pedestrians. This means that your car or someone else's car is ~2,000 times more likely to kill you than is a mountain lion. (A Detailed Calculation gives the ratio as between 1,150 and 4,300.)

* Over 300 people have been killed by domestic dogs in the U.S. between 1979 and the late 1990s. This means that your family dog or your neighbor's dog is ten times more likely to kill you than is a mountain lion and hundreds of time more likely than is a coyote.

if you are lucky enough to see one - you are lucky. i've known many rangers who have spent their careers outdoors and never saw one. they are solitary creatures. and typically you'll never see the one that gets you! cats pounce. consider a rear view mirror.