Mountain Lion Spotted in Palisades Highlands

The first locally reported mountain lion sighting for 2013 occurred in Palisades Highlands last Friday, reports ADT Patrol. It's the first reported sighting since April 2011.

Area workers reported they saw a mountain lion that last Friday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. at the common area hillside above Avenida de Santa Ynez at Avenida de Cortez. The workers saw another lion sunning itself in the same general area at the same time by another worker.

ADT issued a statement this week saying they are taking a proactive approach, and reported it to the Department of Fish and Game, and state park rangers assigned to Topanga and Will Rogers.

Since the Highlands is surrounded by protected state lands, ADT reminds Highland residents they reside in mountain lion country. Here are some safety tips to avoided unwanted encounters.

• Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
• Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat.
• Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
• Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
• Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active— dawn, dusk, and at night.
• Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

For more information or you see a mountain lion, view the attached flier and call ADT Patrol 24 Hour Palisades Highlands Dispatch at (310) 475-4099.

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(A correction was made to the exact location of the Highlands mountain lion sighting. Patch apologizes for the error.)