< June 2010 >

San Mateo County residents will have a glimpse into the life of a typical mountain lion at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, in the auditorium at the Peninsula Humane Society at 12 Airport Blvd. in San Mateo. Woodside, Portola Valley and parts of Atherton are mountain lion country and, as has been documented more than once in The Almanac, residents have had close encounters. A lion attacked a goat in a Portola Valley back yard in February, only to be scared off by the homeowner. In March, a lion casually strolled up the front steps and through the yard of a Woodside psychotherapist's home while she was in session, with the result that she put up a warning in her waiting room. Lion sightings have been up significantly in The Almanac's circulation area. Does your yard or deck have occasional visits by a tawny 150-pound feline with a vertical leap capability of 12 feet to 15 feet? Do you have questions about living where lions also roam?

The talk, titled "Mountain Lions: Elusive Residents of the Bay Area," is meant to help people understand the role of the big cats in the region's ecosystem.

Yiwei Wang, a humane society volunteer and doctoral student in the Bay Area Puma Project, will present the talk. It will include a brief history of the relationship between people and mountain lions in California, as well as tips on coexisting safely with the animals.

The Humane Society requests a donation of $5. Call Amy Differding at 340-7022, ext. 369, for more information.

THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND PARKS Commission meeting is at 1:30 p.m. on June 24 at the Herington Community Building in Herington. One of the highlights of the meeting will be a report on mountain lion populations in Kansas by Matt Peek. A general public comment session will be part of the 7 p.m. portion of the meeting. Persons wanting to may tour Herington Airport businesses before the meeting. Meet at the Community Building at 9 a.m. for the tour