Fallon Deatherage

News Editor

This spring, less than a week after graduation, the first of two mountain lions were spotted on ISU’s Pocatello campus, causing the university to activate its emergency alert system.

The first mountain lion was spotted early May 11 near Red Hill Trail, the same trail that leads to the iconic pillars that sit at the top of campus near the Mountain View Cemetery. ISU Public Safety, the Pocatello Police Department and the Idaho Fish and Game Department arrived on the scene to track down the cat. After nearly an hour, they were able to subdue the mountain lion with a tranquilizer. It was then transported to a remote part of southeast Idaho.

“Ironically, the animal that causes more human deaths than any other is not the cougar, but the cougar’s primary prey: deer,” said Kevin Hansen of the Mountain Lion Foundation. “Most of these are due to collisions between the animals and motor vehicles.”

The second sighting occurred May 16, when a resident of Ridgecrest Apartments, an on-campus apartment complex located near Red Hill, reported seeing a mountain lion heading towards Barton Road. ISU Public safety, Pocatello Police, and Idaho Fish and Game again responded to the scene to search for the mountain lion, but they were unable to locate it.

To make the situation more alarming, three days later, an unprovoked mountain lion attacked two cyclers in Washington state, killing one and injuring the other. This marked Washington’s first deadly mountain lion attack in nearly 100 years.

However, Idaho Fish and Game stresses that such attacks are very rare. The state’s most recent dangerous mountain lion-human interaction was in 2011 when a Boise boy and his father confronted a lion that had killed their family dog. Before that, the only other mountain lion incident in the state involved a boy in Salmon in the 1990s.

Despite this, mountain lion sightings are not uncommon in the Pocatello area and it’s important for students to understand what to do if they encounter one. Idaho Fish and Game Department officials receive several reports of mountain lions each year, typically from the Johnny Creek, City Creek and Mink Creek areas. Mountain lions are good at keeping out of sight of humans, so reports are far less common than other wildlife. 

Mountain lions do not pose a great threat to humans, but there are still some guidelines to follow if confronted with one. Jennifer Jackson, Regional Conservation Educator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Southeast Region, has several guidelines to follow if you encounter a mountain lion.

· Do not run. It will likely trigger a chase response in the cat.

· Do not turn your back on the lion, crouch down or try to hide.

· Keep eye contact and back away slowly. Leave the animal an escape route.

· Make yourself look as large and intimidating as possible. Stand on a rock or stump. Open your shirt or jacket and spread your arms apart to appear larger than you are.

· If the lion does not leave the area, shout, wave your arms or throw objects.

· If attacked, fight back. If you have pepper spray, use it. Stay on your feet and use your backpack, sticks, rocks or hands to defend yourself.

· Any urban mountain lion sightings should be reported directly to Fish and Game. Here in southeast Idaho, you can contact the regional office 208-232-4703. You can also contact local police.