Patch reader, Patti, emailed and commented on the site last night about a possible mountain lion sighting near Foothill Road in Moller Ranch.
"My daughter and I saw a large, tan mountain lion casually walking in the grass alongside Moller Ranch Drive heading East towards Foothill Road in Pleasanton tonight at 6pm; we notified the Pleasanton Police Department of our sighting."
Pleasanton Police Animal Services Officer Kristen Hart confirmed the Pleasanton Police did receive a call reporting the sighting.
Hart wrote:
"It [the mountain lion call] went out as 'beat information' for the officers. We are aware because it was called in to us 30-45 minutes after the actual sighting. We do know that we have lions that live on the ridge but I personally cannot confirm that in this case it was a mountain lion since we only had one caller and it was not able to be confirmed by an officer. It is possible the person did see a lion and people should always be aware of their surrounding while hiking or running in the area of the ridge/hills."
Mountain lions are diurnal (hunting at dawn and dusk), hunt in predator-rich areas and generally avoid human contact, according to the California Department of Fish and Game. The sites says "There have been only 16 verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California since 1890, six of them fatal.
Residents can report sightings to the Pleasanton Police Department and an officer will come out to patrol the area.
The California Department of Fish and Game has brochures on how to stay safe in areas where there are mountain lions. Tips include:
- Do not bike, hike or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active--dawn, dusk and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain 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.
For more information, click on the PDF to download the safety brochure.
Journalist Marnette Federis contributed to this report.
Have you seen any mountain lions near Foothill Road? Tell us in the comments section below.
