Dogs drive mountain lion up tree near Brunswick

Friday morning Joy Porter watched as her two dogs ran a mountain lion right up a tree in her yard.

"We have a big pond so we're thinking it may have come here for the water," Porter said.

Porter and her husband, Ken, own a home on Madrone Forest Drive, about a mile and a half up the road from the busy Glenbrook Basin - an area apparently not busy enough to keep the mountain lions away.

"My husband came home and found it (the mountain lion) ... our dogs treed it," Porter said of the unexpected visitor they received. The Porters have two Weimaraners, or "Gray Ghosts."

Known for their smooth gray coat and affectionate temperament, Weimaraners were originally bred for hunting big game. The Porters' dogs certainly seemed to live up to their pedigree Friday, considering the two dogs treed the mountain lion not once but twice.

Porter and her husband immediately called 911 after they spotted the animal.

"It scares me because I have a 5-year-old boy at home," said Porter.

Authorities directed the Porters to the Department of Fish and Game, who gave the family three options for dealing with the mountain lion: pull their dogs off of the tree and let the animal go, call the Sheriff's department and have them shoot it, or wait for Fish and Game, who were unavailable until later that evening.

The Department of Fish and Game did not see the sighting as a priority and therefore would not arrive at the Porters' residence until later Friday night.

However, the Department of Fish and Game did connect Porter with an expert on mountain lions. "It was a very helpful conversation. I felt a lot more at ease after talking with him," said Porter about the advice given by Fish and Game.

Porter was directed to a Web site containing information about how to live with mountain lions, what to do if you see one, and how to respond. The link may be found on the Fish and Game Web site at: www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion.html.

According to Fish and Game's Patrick Foy, people should not be afraid of mountain lions, merely aware and cautious of them. "People need to be aware that they live in an area where lions exist. People should know to call 911 immediately if they feel a threat," says Foy.

Foy, who says if he lived in the area he would not see the animals as a threat, believes living with mountain lions is an awareness issue above all else. He recommends buying sharp whistles and attaching them to backpacks, for small children. Whistles may be used to scare away predators and draw attention to the person feeling threatened.

Foy doesn't believe there has been an increase in the amount of mountain lions in the Nevada County area.

"It's not an increase in the amount of lions," he said. "There's an increase in the amount of people outdoors, so there's more people to see them (mountain lions)."

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To contact staff writer Lindsey Croft, e-mail lindseyc@theunion.com or call 477-4247.