Join us in La Honda for the latest updates from the research and conservation efforts of of the Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP). The first major study of pumas in the Bay Area!

This event will raise awareness in the community about predator aversion techniques and about our local project in the Bay Area, the Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP).

Course Description: Spend two days with biologists Dr. Don Hunter and Caroline Krumm learning about Colorado's top predator, the mountain lion (Puma concolor). Instructors will take students into the field for hands on instruction in the tools and methods used in research and management. In addition to an academic overview, students will receive practical instruction on how to “read” the signs left by mountain lions. After taking the course, students will be better equipped to gain an understanding of how the mountain lion fits into the wildland and urban ecosystems, including its relationship with the people and communities of the Front Range.

Each day begins at FRCC with a morning of lectures and presentations that cover mountain lion ecology, such as physical characteristics, habitat preferences, prey base, ecological niche, life history details, and human-lion interaction. In the afternoon the class ventures into the natural area, learning basic habitat characterization, prey identification, mountain lion movement, remote camera trapping, and radio telemetry.

Note: The seminar will include moderate hikes of less than 4 miles per day; for details on Bobcat Ridge Natural Areas see: http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/bobcat

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

This workshop will:

1) Provide up-to-date scientific information on cougar biology and behavior

2) Provide information on how to identify cougar sign

3) Demonstrate the latest in immobilizing drugs and techniques, with hands-on practice

4) Answer questions on how to handle immobilized animals, precautions needed, monitoring, and what to expect.

5) Provide first hand information on procedures to use for crowd control, media interaction, and development of your First Responder Team

This one-of-a-kind workshop is designed to give First Responders in areas where pumas are showing up the tools they need to handle the situations safely, efficiently, and professionally.

The Workshop theme is “Cougars: Conservation, Connectivity, and Population Management.” The workshop will also include a Wild Felid Research and Management Association panel discussion on wild felid management issues in the Americas.