Mountain Lion Sighting in Fairfield
Fairfield, CA (Friday, October 13, 2017 – 4:45 pm)
Today at approximately 3:15 pm there was a mountain lion sighting near a business on the 2500 block of Martin Road. The mountain lion was last reported walking in a northbound direction and out of sight. Patrol Officers have extensively searched the area and were unable to locate it. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
Mountain lions occasionally wander into urban environments, and are often displaced from their natural rural habitat by wildfire and smoke. The fires in the vicinity of Fairfield likely caused the mountain lion to wander into Fairfield. They frequently will wander back out of the area and back into their natural habitat on their own.
In consultation with the Fish & Wildlife Game Wardens, we recommend the following if a mountain lion is sighted:
- Do not approach or otherwise attempt to interact with or capture the mountain lion
- Call the Police Department to report the sighting
- Avoid hiking or jogging alone in parklands or rural areas. Mountain lions in particular, are most active during the early morning, evening, and nighttime hours.
- Bring small children and animals indoors
- Never approach a mountain lion. If confronted by one, do not run! Instead, face the animal, stand upright, wave your arms, and make noise in an effort to scare the animal off.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
Awareness of your surroundings combined with implementation of these recommendations is the best way to avoid an encounter with a mountain lion.
