Mountain lion pops up in Atwater

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed mountain lion tracks were found Monday in Atwater after multiple reports of sightings.

The tracks were found on private property. Fish and Wildlife had not seen other evidence of a mountain lion in the area, spokeswoman Janice Mackey said.

The mountain lion did not appear to pose a threat, she said, so the agency was not trying to capture it. Fish and Wildlife wardens were unsure of the cat’s location, but they predicted it wouldn’t stay in the area for long.

“The best thing for the mountain lion is for it to go back to where it came from,” Mackey said.

It’s not uncommon for mountain lions to make their way from higher elevations to the Valley floor, often using dried-up waterways as access points, Mackey said. From the size of the tracks, the cat is believed to be an 18-month-old male that likely departed from its mother recently and is looking for deer.

Reports of the mountain lion surfaced before the Thanksgiving holiday in the McSwain area, but school officials said the animal has not been seen on or near campuses.

Anyone who comes into contact with the mountain lion is advised not to run, but to face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving one’s arms and throwing rocks or other objects. Small children should be picked up.

For more information and tips on protecting property and ways to deal with mountain lions, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 7:10 PM with the headline "Mountain lion pops up in Atwater."