Mountain lion spotted near Carmel

A mountain lion creeping into someone’s backyard. This happened just last week near Carmel

It was around 4am last Monday morning when police officers spotted an adult mountain lion off San Antonio and Carmel Way in Pebble Beach

Officials say there are a bunch of mountain lions that live on the Central Coast, we just don’t typically see them. “It’s not a regular occurrence… most mountain lions they don’t want to be seen. They can be there, but a lot of times we are not going to see them,” says animal control officer, Cindy Mitchell.

And for long time Carmel residents like Bonnie Wolfe, this holds true. Bonnie has lived in the area for around 20 years and has never spotted a mountain lion… but she does keep her guard up to protect her and her dog. “I just try to be careful. You know, don’t go where the mountain lions are, or the skunks, or somethings like that,” says Bonnie.

And this isn’t the first time mountain lions have been spotted strutting their stuff along the Central Coast. Many remember the lion caught lounging in a tree in Santa Cruz last year… along with the two lions caught on camera in Boulder Creek, in March.

Mitchell says, “You can see them just about anywhere. I mean we are in an area that is naturally wooded and has deer, which is their main food source that they like… and that is why we
don’t want people feeding deer, because it will draw them to your area”

If you find yourself in the presence of a mountain lion it can be very tempting to hide from it by getting small, or even getting quiet. But what you want to do is get loud, make your presence known. This will help scare the mountain lion away, so you can exit safely.

Which is exactly what bonnie had in mind. And with all the negativity surrounding the majestic beast, here is a positive note. “It’s wonderful when we get a chance to see them. And it looked like it was a healthy mountain lion too,” says Mitchell.