GRANADA HILLS : Mountain Lions Spotted in Hills

Authorities Friday warned residents to protect small children and animals after mountain lions were spotted in the hillsides bordering residential areas in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch.

Wildlife Officer Dennis Kroeplin of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation said that the lions, possibly an adult male and female and a young cub, have been spotted several times over the last several months, most recently on Sept. 24 at the foot of O’Melveny Park near Louise Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard.

Kroeplin said mountain lions have always been in this area, but now with development encroaching on the mountainsides, the cats are becoming more visible.

“The lions are just doing what they have been doing for years,” Kroeplin said.

No one has been injured and no domestic animals have been hurt, Kroeplin said. He added that coyotes, rather than lions, are more likely to go after small pets.

Kroeplin said that people often mistake bobcats for lions. He said lions look more like large dogs and weigh 80 to 150 pounds. Bobcats weigh 20 to 30 pounds, have pointed ears and a stubby tail.

“The bobcat is a much smaller animal and the potential threat to humans is extremely remote,” he said.

There will be no attempt to capture the lions unless they venture deeper into residential areas and pose a danger. Kroeplin said he does not expect that to happen because there is plenty of food and water in the mountains.

Kroeplin theorized that lions may be coming out in search of mates.

“When they are mating, they become more oblivious to their surroundings,” he said.