How is California handling the presence of mountain lions? What to know
Californians are wrestling with the conflict between protecting wildlife and protecting citizens from the threats predators pose, with mountain lion sightings near Susanville the latest to heighten public awareness. State biologists say the big cats spotted there were not a threat, but the incident underscores ongoing tensions over how to coexist with protected predators.
Sharon Bernstein reported this story fully, focusing on the ongoing debate about wolves, bears and mountain lions. She helped clarify what the issue is and how the state reacted when Lassen County Sheriff John McGarva said on social media that mountain lions posed an imminent threat to public safety in a remote area near Susanville, prompting other officials to conclude they posed no threat.
Read her account in “Are mountain lions a threat in California? How to weigh the latest warnings.”
Here are key takeaways about mountain lions in California:
- About 4,200 mountain lions live in the state, with roughly 1,400 in Southern California and along the Central Coast. In February, the Fish and Game Commission extended additional protections to those populations.
- Mountain lions are ambush predators that typically hunt alone, feeding on about 40 deer per year. Unlike wolves, they tend to be afraid of dogs and are less likely to attack commercial livestock.
- Last year, mountain lions attacked two people in California, neither fatally. In 2024, 21-year-old Taylen Brooks was killed and his brother Wyatt, 18, was severely injured in an attack in El Dorado County.
- Voters banned sport hunting of mountain lions in 1990 but allowed them to be killed if they pose an imminent threat, damage property or attack people. Last year, the state issued 158 nonlethal and 62 lethal permits, with 19 lions actually killed.
- A bill spurred by the attacks on Taylen and Wyatt Brooks, by state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Jackson, advanced this month and would require the state to expand programs aimed at preventing conflict between humans and mountain lions.