Tuesday Tip - Wildlife Sightings

Bears, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, bobcats, all roam the foothills above our town and will sometimes venture into residential neighborhoods. Most of the time, the wildlife comes and goes without notice. In recent years, it seems that calls of bear and lion sightings have been on the rise. The topic of handling these types of incidents is widely discussed in the media and on the Internet. Our Officers will respond when called to a wildlife sighting and our primary goal is to allow the animal to leave the area back to the foothills. Under most conditions, the Officers presence, use of vehicles, horns, stun bag rounds, all are sufficient to encourage the animal to leave the area. If life is threatened, use of deadly force is an option. Our Officers are not equipped with tranquilizers and State Wardens may not be readily available to respond.

There are sources, such as the Department of Fish and Game, who offer tips in dealing with wildlife. The majority of tips are common sense. Here are two sites that deal specifically with mountain lions and with black bear. Both sites offer tips for encounters of these animals.