Mountain lion spotted walking Glendale hillside neighborhood
A mountain lion was spotted strolling near a northwest hillside neighborhood in Glendale Thursday night, police said.
A resident saw the lion at about 11 p.m. moving north on Larco Way, where it briefly stopped to stare at him and then meandered away, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.
Animal control officers with the Pasadena Humane Society, which serves Glendale, were notified about the sighting and will be distributing fliers in the neighborhood, advising residents what to do if they see a mountain lion, said spokeswoman Ricky Whitman.
A deer — a food source for mountain lions — also was spotted this week in a neighborhood near Larco Way.
With hundreds of trick-or-treaters expected to go door-to-door on Thursday asking for Halloween candy, police remind residents to carry flashlights and travel in groups.
In June, city officials developed the Wildlife Animal Viewer so residents can report wildlife sightings online. The animal viewer is a map linked on the city’s website that allows residents to check out sightings of bobcats, bears, coyotes, deer and mountain lions logged in their neighborhoods.
A month after city officials created the map, a custodian at Monte Vista Elementary spotted a mountain lion in the school’s parking lot just before it jumped over a fence and into a neighboring property.
Wildlife experts say mountain lions are elusive and avoid people. Still, they urge residents against leaving small pets and children outside unattended.
Residents should deer-proof their property and should not feed animals outside because doing so will attract mountain lions, experts say.
Police urge residents to call the Glendale Police Department at (818) 548-4911 if they see a mountain lion.
To get more information or report a sighting in Glendale, visit the city’s website to access the Wildlife Animal Viewer.
City officials provided the following tips to keep residents safe:
- Don’t hike, bike, or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging at night, dawn and dusk, when coyotes and mountain lions are most active.
- If you see a mountain lion or coyote, don’t run. You should face the animal, make a noise, throw an item at it and try to look larger than you are by waving your arms.
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