Mountain lion sightings lead to closure of popular SLO hiking trail
A popular hiking trail in San Luis Obispo has been closed after multiple mountain lion sightings were reported.
The San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Ranger Service closed the Hill Street entrance to Cerro San Luis, otherwise known as Madonna Mountain.
The agency said on social media that it has received reports of “multiple mountain lion sightings over the past week.”
“We advise people to remain highly alert, keep their dogs on leash and stay on designated trails while hiking on Cerro San Luis,” the posts read. “We will update our website, under trail status, as soon as the access is open again.”
Bob Hill, the city’s sustainability and natural resources official, noted that people should avoid the eucalyptus and lemon grove areas on the mountain, as that’s where the mountain lion has been spotted.
“It is unusual for us to close a trail, but it’s not unusual for us to receive so many sightings in this short amount of time,” he said. “Some of the sightings have been during the day and at dusk.”
The city knows of only one mountain lion spotted in the area, Hill added, and doesn’t think there are multiple. A city biologist is working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine more about why the mountain lion may have been spotted so often — such as whether it has a den in the area for cubs.
Hill called it a “conservation success” that a mountain lion was seen and action taken by the city to protect it by closing the trailhead.
Other Cerro San Luis access points — such as Fernandez Road, Laguna Lake Park and other neighborhood entrances — will remain open.
Mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo County are relatively common. From 2015 through 2017, at least 100 were spotted in the county, according to Tribune data gathered in 2018.
The big cats tend to rest during the day and remain elusive, so interactions with humans are rare. However, multiple sightings of mountain lions in one area have often prompted trail or park closures in the past.
Even so, mountain lion attacks on humans are exceedingly rare. Since 1986, there have been 20 attacks, three of which were fatal, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
If you see a mountain lion, don’t run, crouch, or do anything to mimic the lion’s prey, which could trigger a predatory response. Instead, appear larger than you are and give them a path to escape. Pick up dogs and children.
