Mountain lion or cougars roam throughout the United States. Mountain lion attacks on people have increased dramatically since 1986. In California, there were two fatal attacks in 1890 and 1909, and then no further attacks for 77 years, until 1986. From 1986 through 1995, ten verified attacks occurred, an average rate of one per year. That average rate has continued through 1999. Attacks are now numerous enough that there is a support group for attack victims, called California Lion Awareness. Since 1970 there has been an average of 14 cougar attacks per year on people in the entire U.S. Mountain lion sightings have increased dramatically as well, from 59 in 1991 to over 300 in 1994 in California. The reasons for the increase are unknown. Some think the increase in California was a consequence of the end of recreational hunting of mountain lions in 1972, and then the passage of Proposition 117 in 1990, which declared the cougar a "specially protected mammal". However, it is even hard to tie the timing of the increase in attacks in California to those events, and a similar increase in attacks has occurred in other states where recreational hunting is still allowed.Sunday, November 30, 2008
Mountain Lion Attacks
Mountain lion or cougars roam throughout the United States. Mountain lion attacks on people have increased dramatically since 1986. In California, there were two fatal attacks in 1890 and 1909, and then no further attacks for 77 years, until 1986. From 1986 through 1995, ten verified attacks occurred, an average rate of one per year. That average rate has continued through 1999. Attacks are now numerous enough that there is a support group for attack victims, called California Lion Awareness. Since 1970 there has been an average of 14 cougar attacks per year on people in the entire U.S. Mountain lion sightings have increased dramatically as well, from 59 in 1991 to over 300 in 1994 in California. The reasons for the increase are unknown. Some think the increase in California was a consequence of the end of recreational hunting of mountain lions in 1972, and then the passage of Proposition 117 in 1990, which declared the cougar a "specially protected mammal". However, it is even hard to tie the timing of the increase in attacks in California to those events, and a similar increase in attacks has occurred in other states where recreational hunting is still allowed.
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