Mountain Lion Sightings Keep Whiting Ranch Park Closed

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA — Mountain lion sightings have kept the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park closed for almost a month in southern Orange County, an OC Parks spokesperson says.

In February, an incident between a resident and a big cat took place, according to the parks service. Since then, mountain lions have been spotted daily.

Since then, park rangers have been monitoring the park for evidence of mountain lions, including tracks, scat, and images on trail cameras.

"Evidence has been seen nearly every day," OC Parks spokesperson Marisa O'Neil told Patch. "We have been consulting with UC Davis and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and will reopen the park when it appears the animal or animals have moved on from the park."

Prior to the mountain lion closure, portions of the park were already closed due to fire recovery from the Silverado Fire.

"All of our parks have been very busy with visitors for the past year," she said.

In the meantime, residents are asked to respect the presence of these big cats and adhere to the warnings on the park signs.

If you do see a mountain lion, do not run. Hold your ground, make noise, wave your arms and make yourself appear larger. Throw items at it to scare it away.

Do not crouch down or turn your back. Report any sightings to the park office.

"Mountain lions are unpredictable," a spokesperson for OC Parks says. "They have been known to attack without warning."

As no one's safety can be guaranteed in the park due to the wildlife activity, all are advised to stay alert.

If you encounter a mountain lion, don't run, experts say.
"Hold your ground, wave your hands and shout!" they say.

• Don't Run
• Hold your ground, wave your hands and shout!
• If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones.
• Convince the lion that you are not prey and that you may be dangerous to it.
• Do all that you can to appear larger. Pick up small children and place them on your shoulders, if you can.
• Don't crouch down. The lion has seen you long before you saw it.
• Report mountain lion sightings, in detail, to a Park Ranger as soon as possible.