Regional Park Declared Safe and Is Reopened : Mountain lions: Two sightings are reported, but rangers determine the animals pose no imminent threat.

A week after closing Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park because of a mountain lion scare, park officials have reopened the 3,000-acre wilderness area, saying it is now safe for visitors.

Park rangers and volunteers on horseback went through the park several times during the weeklong closure looking for aggressive mountain lion behavior. While two sightings were reported, the rangers and a wildlife biologist from the state Department of Fish and Game determined the mountain lions posed no imminent threat.

“We’re of the opinion that while there might be a heightened level of danger with cats in the area, they do not pose a threat to public safety,” said Capt. Roger Reese, who heads Fish and Game’s Ventura office.

The regional park was closed Sept. 9 after a pair of mountain lions reportedly stalked two horseback riders. One of the cats came up under a horse ridden by Sharon Virzi, 41, and bared its teeth. Virzi and her companion, Robin Phipps, 27, said they turned their horses to ride away but another cat blocked their path.

The two women then doubled back, riding up the trail to escape. At least one of the cats followed them for a while.

Rorie Skei, assistant executive director of the East County Conservation Authority, said the mountain lions were probably surprised by the women while lying in wait for deer. She suspects the mountain lion that followed the women was not stalking them but simply ensuring that the riders left the area.

“This was definitely an unusual encounter but we feel it was an anomaly,” she said.

Today, when the wilderness area reopens, a docent is scheduled to lead a family walk through part of the park, Skei said.

She said people can protect themselves from mountain lion attack by traveling in pairs and taking other precautions. Park officials are posting permanent warning signs letting visitors know that the park is mountain lion habitat.

Of the two mountain lions reported this week, one was encountered by Pearl Hasty near Embley Ranch.

“Actually I didn’t see it, I heard it,” Hasty said. “It’s not the first time, but I was feeding (my) animals later than usual and when I came to the back fence I heard it growl, hiss and carry on like they do.”

If Fish and Game had determined that the mountain lions posed a public safety threat, trackers would have been sent to kill the animals. Hasty, who has lived in the area a number of years, said she was happy that the cats will not be harmed.

“If you like nature you get very excited by something like this,” she said. “That’s why we’re way out here, because we enjoy the wildlife.”

Residents who regularly use the park said they were worried that the attention focused on last week’s encounter would lead to unnecessary hysteria about mountain lions in the area.

“You should always be aware of the dangers when going into a wilderness area,” said Jim Hartley, who with his wife, Madeline, heads the volunteer Mounted Assistance Unit that rides through the park every week.

“But let’s put the danger in perspective,” said. “I’ll bet there have been more people killed on the 118 (freeway) in the last few years than have been killed by mountain lions in the last 50. There are a lot of risks in life, and I don’t think people would want to eliminate the risk by eliminating what wildlife we have left. I’ve been riding in the park for years and I would count myself lucky if I ever saw a mountain lion.”