A mountain lion ambushed a woman while she was taking her dog for a walk and snatched her pet, according to reports.
Alysha Periera was walking her dog Cupcake near Laguna Lake Mobile Estates in San Luis Obispo, California at 5:30 pm on February 11.
The cat pounced on her dog.
Periera pulled on the leash trying to free her dog from the cat’s grip but could not.
She was knocked to the ground during the struggle and the mountain lion ran off with her dog.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the woman was injured in the fall.
Periera said: “It took her and took her down the creek.
“I could hear her yelling, yelling.
“She was yelling and yelling, and I couldn’t do anything. It was so horrible.
“I just want everybody to be safe.
“I want them to know that possibility is there, that what happened to me can happen to them.”
Neighbor Jeff Krause said:
“This is one of the dog parks in the park here.
“As you can see, we have bags right there for the disposal of doggy waste, but not only that, but a lot of families also come here to sit on the bench and listen to the creek.
“Children come here almost daily to go down and play in the creek and hike around down there.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement:
“CDFW will make an effort to trap, collar, and relocate the mountain lion to suitable habitat in a more remote setting.
“This is possibly the same mountain lion that has been seen in the area a couple of times over the past two months.
“It is believed to be an adult mountain lion. It’s also possible that there are two mountain lions in the area.
“San Luis Obispo is a mountain lion habitat and generally speaking, wherever there are deer there are mountain lions so the presence of mountain lions itself is not out of the ordinary.
“We’d advise anyone who lives in an area with mountain lions to be mindful of that fact and to take appropriate precautions.
“For example avoid recreating near open areas around dusk and dawn.
“If you walk your dog, perhaps go in a group.”
According to SFGate:
Mountain lions are generally shy animals that avoid humans. The size of the state’s cougar population is unknown.
A 1996 Fish and Wildlife study found 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions live in the state.
The agency started a new population count in 2014 and it has not been completed.
If you encounter a mountain lion, Fish and Wildlife advises that you do not run away or turn your back to the animal.
Instead you should try to make yourself look bigger by putting your hands over your head and make the loudest noises possible.
