Mountain Lion Country

This sign was posted in a local park in San Diego in the center of Mira Mesa. What does "Entering Mountain Lion Country" mean exactly? You say, "I've never heard that there are mountain lions wandering the suburban parks in the heart of the city."

If you speak French, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese, you probably understand the word 'CAUTION' and sense that this sign is warning you about a lion or big cat (looking at the drawing - you can figure that  out).

Also, the next bold-faced lettering announces, "WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A LION."  'Encounter' is a big word if you are not a native speaker (or even if you ARE a native speaker but not a strong reader), so what are some synonyms of 'encounter'?  "Meet, face, run into' - and often, the implication is that the meeting (encounter is both a noun and a verb) is unexpected or unplanned.

Do you know what a TIP is?  Of course, that is something that you give to the waiter for giving you good service at a restaurant. Not in this case. As with many seemingly simple, one-syllable words in English, tip has multiple meanings (or is polysemous). Another meaning of 'tip' is a piece of advice.  The number one 'tip' is "DON'T RUN.'  If you have a pet cat or dog, you may know that running from it often prompts your animal to give chase. You really can't outrun a mountain lion because they're much faster than you are, and like all cats, they can climb trees.  Make a lot of noise by shouting/screaming/clapping your hands together or anything else you can do at the moment of encounter to make yourself look threatening. Remember that deer are the usual prey for California mountain lions, but like most wild predators, they will attack smaller or less meaty or tasty animals (including rarely humans) if they are hungry or disturbed. They are opportunistic predators, and usually when they attack humans, the humans are somehow triggering a chase response, e.g., trail running alone or trail-biking alone and moving quickly past the animal. They like to pounce (= jump on) their prey from behind.

Finally, the signs are posted to make park users aware that they are in a potentially dangerous environment.  In other words, you are NOT entering a zoo or playground, and even in those settings, you are responsible for accidents when you break rules and allow your child to step over a barrier and fall into a lion exhibit, for example.  Wildlife such as deer, skunks, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, many bird and bug species (e.g., biting ants, stinging wasps, bees, biting spiders), coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and plants (thorny or poisonous) are living in our open spaces in the midst of an urban development. Be mindful!  Be aware. Look and see, smell, listen and hear, feel your surroundings. Learn about the wildlife that lives in your backyard, canyons, and parks. You will be amazed!