The drought has caused some bizarre behavior in the wild animals of Lake County. Recently a mother bear and her cub wandered through a mobile home park in Lakeport. Mountain lions are being spotted in backyards and skunks and raccoons are wandering through residential neighborhoods.
Why are these wild animals that normally shun humans showing up in strange places? They are looking for water and food. The hills and woods are bone dry and there is little food and practically no water.
Last week a female bear and her cub wandered through the Lakeport Lagoons Mobile Home Park in south Lakeport. The two bears walked down a channel that separates the homes. Their footprints could be clearly seen in the mud. Bears are also showing up in backyards in Upper Lake, the Nice-Lucerne area and in Clearlake Oaks.
It”s not only bears that are walking around the residential areas but other wildlife as well. For example, I have received at least 10 calls in the last month from local residents saying they have seen mountain lions. One woman in Upper Lake said she opened her door leading to the deck and there was a young mountain lion stretched out sleeping. The lion looked at her and then jumped off the deck and disappeared into the nearby woods. Another person living on a five-acre parcel near Clear Lake State Park reported seeing a charcoal-colored mountain lion in his backyard. Another person reported seeing a similar-colored mountain lion while driving down Soda Bay Road near the State Park. Apparently it was the same lion. Any animal that is coal black has the melanistic gene in it. According to Mountain Lion Coalition, there has never been a mountain lion identified with the melanistic gene although there have been dark gray lions.
Wildlife biologists say the reason the lions are being seen around residential areas is because the deer have moved into these areas seeking water. Deer are the primary prey of lions. The lions will also feed on domestic cats and dogs. Most of the lions being seen are the younger lions. An adult mountain lion will kill any other young male entering his territory and since an adult lion has a home range of at least 30 miles, the younger lions move into the residential areas where they feel safe.
Residents are being warned to never approach a lion or a bear because they can attack if they feel threatened. Lion and bear attacks are extremely rare. Since 1983 there have been only 15 verified lion attacks on humans in California and none in Lake County. Three of the attacks were fatal.
There was an attack by a lion on two people in Mendocino County in 1994 and both survived. The lion was killed and it tested positive for rabies. There have been only 12 verified bear attacks on humans in California since 1980. None were fatal. Most of these attacks occurred when an individual was feeding the bear.
It”s not just lions and bears showing up in backyards, but also skunks and raccoons. One woman reported three raccoons had learned to open her screen door and enter the house. She said one morning she walked into her living room and there were the three raccoons sitting on the rug.
Since many people feed their cats and dogs on their decks or back porches the wild animals have quickly learned this is an easy food source. Most of the time the wild critters show up at night and forage through the garbage and pet food. They also drink water out of the bird baths.
Deer are the most common wild animals that set up their homes in residential areas. Just about every home in Lake County has had a deer or two visit the backyard at one time or another.
People need to be very careful around any wild animal. They are unpredictable and even the smallest can bite you. Wild animals should never be fed because they quickly lose the ability to forage in the woods and will eventually die of starvation.
