BELMONT, Calif. — A terrifying scene played out on a home’s doorbell surveillance system, when two mountain lions fought until one died.
Police in Belmont, California, said the camera picked up growls and roars during the fight, before eventually showing one mountain lion drag the one it had killed across the street to a neighbor’s doorstep, KTVU reported. “Makes me nervous, very nervous. A mountain lion, dragging another mountain lion. Oh my goodness,” neighbor Lisa Weidanz told KTVU.
In a warning to other residents, Belmont police used Twitter to alert other residents about the sighting.
Mountain lion seen in the 2500 block of Hastings. An aggressive mountain lion that fought & killed another mountain lion in the area was seen around 2:00am. Game wardens have responded. Pls use caution!
— Belmont Police Dept. (@belmontcapolice) January 19, 2022
Experts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told KABC the mountain lion that was killed was a female, and experts believe the aggressor was a male. “We don’t know what motivated these lions to get into a fight, it’s not extremely unusual, but it is unusual and it is noteworthy that it happened in a somewhat residential area,” one expert told KABC.
The National Park Service offers these tips, should you see a mountain lion:
· Stay calm. Hold your ground or back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright.
· Do not approach. Never approach a mountain lion, especially one that is eating or is with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation, so give them a way to escape.
· Do not run. Running may stimulate the animal’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact.
· Do not crouch or bend over. Bending over or squatting makes a human look more like four-legged prey.
· If the mountain lion moving toward you acts aggressively, try to appear intimidating and try to throw things at it.
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