Mountain lions kill pair of goats south of Oakdale

Two goats at a farm south of Oakdale were killed Thursday night, apparently the victims of two mountain lions.

The attack happened along Albers Road, just north of Rice Road.

Property owner Don Harper said the attack occurred sometime after 7:30 p.m. Members of the family who live on the ranch told him they heard their dog barking at that time and looking toward Albers Road. That is where Harper’s horse likes to stand.

“We think they were after the horse,” Harper said.

Instead, the cougars turned their attention to his two goats – Harper’s great-granddaughter, Adelynn Tillotson of Modesto, had named the 8-month-old male Fiddle and the 4-month-old male Faddle – in an enclosure behind the residence.

Friday morning, the family found both goats dead about 20 feet apart in the enclosure. Each had been attacked on the right ear, which was partially missing. Bite marks were visible on their necks, and their hindquarters were partially eaten away.

Harper found two sets of tracks in the muddy ground. One set was significantly larger than the other. He followed the tracks well out into the 13-acre ranch he’s owned since 2003.

“I just hope they are gone now,” he said.

The attack is another in a series of mountain lion incidents. Over the past 18 months, mountain lions have been spotted in Turlock, Denair, Sonora and other area communities. One reportedly attacked a horse in Valley Springs, and one killed a goat east of Oakdale.

Last month, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed a mountain lion had been in Atwater. It did not pose a threat, so authorities did not try to capture it.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Mountain lions kill pair of goats south of Oakdale."