Mountain lion spotted in Burbank backyard
A mountain lion was spotted Friday morning in the backyard of a hillside home in Burbank, and the resident suspects it was drinking water out of a swimming pool, authorities said.
The sighting was reported in the 1000 block of Hamline Place by a hillside resident who was awakened after his two large dogs began barking “furiously” around 1 a.m., said Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.
The resident flashed a light outside and observed the mountain lion jumping over his fence and returning to the hillside, Ryburn added.
The witness told authorities he believed the animal was drinking water from his swimming pool, said Burbank Animal Supt. Brenda Castaneda. No injuries were reported.
The last sighting reported in Burbank was on Sept. 18.
But in Glendale, authorities believe a mountain lion may have killed an 85-pound black Labrador retriever named Bubba last week, dragging the animal over a 3 1/2-foot wall in north Glendale.
The attack apparently happened around 3 a.m. on Dec. 27 on Rimcrest Drive, near Canonwood Drive.
To report a sighting in Burbank, call Burbank Animal Control at (818) 238-3340 or Burbank police at (818) 238-3000.
Authorities issued a list of safety precautions following the sighting report, including:
Do not feed deer because it’s illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
Don’t allow pets outside or go jogging when mountain lions are most active — dawn, dusk, and at night.
Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects. Pick up small children. If attacked, fight back.
If a mountain lion attacks a person, call 911 immediately.
-- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com