In the forest, the So Cal forest, the cougar roams tonight

[Maria]

Does anyone remember the song:

In the jungle
The peaceful jungle
The lion roams tonight ...

Well, this afternoon, I went to our bedroom on the SouthWest side of our house, and heard a lion (cougar or bobcat) chewing on their prey through the open window. Needless to say, I quickly and quietly crept away. It is not a good idea to disturb a lion who is hungrily devouring his latest catch. From the sound the beast made, I think it was a cougar. We have seen the paw marks (3.5 to 4.0 inches in diameter) and the scats he/she leaves behind.

[Matthew]

I hope you guys have a gun. I would want to have one, at least until I become saintly enough to command and tame wild beasts.

[Barbara]

Maria, yes that song was immediately what I thought of when I saw the title here !

Cougar there, wow !
Were you a bit afraid ? Quite interesting to hear about.

Icxypion has a good reply about taming the wild animals, like St Sergius with the bear, etc. - !

But really it would not be nice to shoot a COUGAR !
I like them !

[Maria]

I hope you guys have a gun. I would want to have one, at least until I become saintly enough to command and tame wild beasts.

We carry one of those police batons (long heavy flashlight) and then sing the Trisagion or pray the Jesus Prayer aloud while walking outside during the times when the big cats might be roaming. They usually roam between 2 AM to 9 AM taking their occasional cat naps. Then they sleep from around 9 AM to about 5 PM during the heat of the day. During the summer months, they tend to sleep longer during the hot daylight hours. They begin their search for food once again just before sunset (around 5 PM or so) to 11 PM. taking another nap between 11 PM to 2 AM.

We make a lot of noise, rattling our gates and trash can lids, to alert the animals that we are intruding on their space in our own backyards. Several times, rounding the corner of our home, we noticed a huge swirling cloud of dust and some tawny feet running away from us. They are very elusive and can escape quite quickly. Naturalists urge people to make noise from a distance to allow these large animals to escape. If they do not run away, then they could be rabid. One wild life officer told us that a cougar stood staring at him, so he charged the beast, and it quickly ran away. He took a gamble, but then he had his sidearm.

[Matthew]

Of course, they are beautiful creatures, but I am thinking about your physical safety. When they get hungry they can kill people or seriously maim and wound you. We have several such news stories about cougars attacking people enjoying a walk along the roads in the countryside. The best thing to do is shoot them if they are hanging around too much. Of course, you can try praying first for a week or so, but if they keep coming back, I would shoot them. He can't hurt or kill you or any visiting grandchildren if he's dead.

Maria, yes that song was immediately what I thought of when I saw the title here !

Cougar there, wow !
Were you a bit afraid ? Quite interesting to hear about.

Icxypion has a good reply about taming the wild animals, like St Sergius with the bear, etc. - !

But really it would not be nice to shoot a COUGAR !
I like them !

[Matthew]

I hope you guys have a gun. I would want to have one, at least until I become saintly enough to command and tame wild beasts.

We carry one of those police batons (long heavy flashlight) and then sing the Trisagion or pray the Jesus Prayer aloud while walking outside during the times when the big cats might be roaming. They usually roam between 2 AM to 9 AM taking their occasional cat naps. Then they sleep from around 9 AM to about 5 PM during the heat of the day. During the summer months, they tend to sleep longer during the hot daylight hours. They begin their search for food once again just before sunset (around 5 PM or so) to 11 PM. taking another nap between 11 PM to 2 AM.

We make a lot of noise, rattling our gates and trash can lids, to alert the animals that we are intruding on their space in our own backyards. Several times, rounding the corner of our home, we noticed a huge swirling cloud of dust and some tawny feet running away from us. They are very elusive and can escape quite quickly. Naturalists urge people to make noise from a distance to allow these large animals to escape. If they do not run away, then they could be rabid. One wild life officer told us that a cougar stood staring at him, so he charged the beast, and it quickly ran away. He took a gamble, but then he had his sidearm.

Yes, loud noises are very effective and driving them away, when they are not extremely hungry or rabid. But if they are, loud noises will not help.

[Maria]

Here in the glorious yet bankrupt State of California, we are not allowed to shoot cougars, especially within the city limits.