Caught in the Crunch

Last year it was coyotes being spotted with disturbing frequency in urban neighborhoods of Orange County. Now it’s cougars, or mountain lions, colliding with civilization as it closes in around their natural habitat.

In late May a mountain lion was captured in Mission Viejo. Last Monday another was caught near Cowan Heights. And a third was spotted the next day in Mission Viejo. The captured cougars were taken to the backcountry of the Cleveland National Forest and released. We suspect they were just as frightened of their confrontation with civilization as residents were of them.

One theory is that they came out of the hills to search for food and water. Another is they were staking out hunting territories because deer and other prey move to lower elevations in the dry season. Whatever reason, a state biologist says their presence indicates a stable and growing mountain lion population.

Mountain lions have not been known to attack humans so there is no cause for alarm. Authorities advise residents just to report their presence and leave them alone. It’s good advice. Orange County may have become an urban community, but it still has its wild side, as the cougars and coyotes keep reminding us.