Rancho San Antonio Closed due to Frequent Mountain Lion Sightings
In August of 2019 Rangers began receiving reports of a family of mountain lions that were showing concerning behavior in the area of Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. Typically an appropriate response from a mountain lion when they see humans on the trail is to show fear and flee the area. Although this family of mountain lions did not appear to have any fear of humans and would continue to lay in the trail and play in the area even as people were hiking in the area and attempted to film them. Mountain lions that are not fearful of humans are a recipe for a bad situation and would result in someone getting hurt if Rangers did not intervene.
Initially Rangers closed the trail in the area of the first encounter although as the mountain lions continued to be spotted by the public in other areas of the preserve Rangers closed all access points to the Rancho San Antonio Preserve.
Rangers continually monitor wildlife interactions with people within Open Space Preserves. The goal is to create habitat where wildlife like mountain lions can remain wild as well as create open spaces where the public can recreate safely as well. Occasionally maintaining these spaces requires intervention like closing trails to protect both wildlife and public safety.
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If you support having skilled and trained Rangers ready to respond to public safety emergencies such as this that occur within and surrounding Open Space Lands please contact your elected board members and ask them to return to the negotiations table with the Rangers to offer a benefits package that is consistent with their public safety role.