Another mountain lion sighting brings police back out to Dry Creek in Modesto
Another mountain lion sighting Sunday brought police back to the Dry Creek area in east Modesto.
The report came in the late morning on the south side of the creek, east of Lincoln Avenue and near the Creekside Golf Course.
People should avoid the search area, spokeswoman Sharon Bear of the Modesto Police Department said.
10 days after first sighting
The lion was spotted in the same area of the creek on June 25, but police were unable to flush if from the dense brush with various noisemakers.
Earlier that day, it was reported at Sonoma Park on East Orangeburg Avenue, then near the Century Center shopping center at East Orangeburg and Oakdale Road. Additional sightings on Lakewood Avenue and Orangeburg kept the search going into June 26.
Officers tried to roust the lion with a helicopter, a drone, flash bang grenades and a barking K-9. Police can call in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for help in tracking and possibly trapping the animal. It can be released to a wild area if it is found to be healthy.
Out of its usual habitat
Mountain lions are more common in the hills east and west of the San Joaquin Valley, where deer and other natural prey are more abundant.
Experts say the big cats usually avoid humans but can attack and kill if provoked. They also can prey on pets and livestock.
Police provided these tips:
- If you encounter a lion, do not run. Instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms.
- Throw rocks or other objects.
- Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.
