SANDY, Utah, Oct. 15, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Sandy City officials are warning residents of multiple mountain lion sightings in the last week.
“A mountain lion has been seen in Brandon Park in the early morning hours, 4:30 a.m., this week,” said a Facebook post from Sandy City Animal Services late Thursday afternoon. “Brandon Park is a gully/wildland area that runs north/south between Wasatch Boulevard and 11400 South at about 1900/2000 East.”
There have also been several reports of a mountain lion in the Bell Canyon Park just a little further to the west. It is likely the same cougar, officials said.
The Division of Wildlife Resources and animal service officers are aware of the situation and will remove the animal when it is located.
The post offered the following recommendations for mountain lion encounters from the National Park Service.
- Stay calm.
- Hold your ground and back away slowly.
- Face the lion and stand upright.
- Do not approach a lion.
- Never approach a mountain lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens.
- Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation; give them a way to escape.
- DO NOT RUN from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal, maintaining eye contact.
- Keep children from running away.
- Do not crouch down or bend over. Biologists surmise mountain lions don’t recognize standing humans as prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks like a four-legged prey animal.
If the mountain lion moves in your direction or acts aggressively:
- Do all you can to appear intimidating. You do not want to give the mountain lion any reason to think you are prey.
- Attempt to appear larger by raising your arms and opening your jacket. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. Bang your hiking sticks together or clap your hands while yelling.
- If looking bigger doesn’t scare the mountain lion off, start throwing stones or branches in its direction, without crouching or turning your back.
If you see the mountain lion in Sandy you are asked to call 911 or Sandy City dispatch on 801-799-3000 ext. 7.
