Merced College sends out alert after mountain lion is spotted near the campus
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Merced College issued a campus safety alert after a mountain lion sighting near campus.
- CDFW urged precautions: avoid lone outdoor activity at dawn/dusk and secure pets.
- Campus Police and Merced police notified; community urged to report sightings.
Updated story: Mountain lion captured in north Merced, police say Original story:
Thursday morning, after reports that a mountain lion was spotted near the Merced College campus, school officials sent a safety alert to the college community.
According to Director of Communications and External Relations James Leonard, the mountain lion sighting took place northwest of the campus near Pickworth Court. Leonard added that college officials are not aware of any previous sightings in nearby areas.
Merced police officers were dispatched to the scene, but the department has yet to respond to a request for additional information.
Merced College’s community safety alert included the following tips for staying safe:
- Immediately report any sightings or unusual activity to campus police
- Be aware of your surroundings and avoid isolated areas
- Stay in groups when walking outside
- Do not approach or attempt to feed the mountain lion
- Contact campus police at 209-386-6600 or use the Campus Shield app to report information.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has additional guidance for preventing conflicts with mountain lions. Haley Jones, a human-wildlife conflict biologist with CDFW, previously stated: “Mountain lions typically avoid humans, but they can take pets and livestock easily if residents don’t take precautions. Implementing deterrence efforts can be effective.”
To avoid conflict, CDFW recommends:
- Avoid hiking, biking, or jogging alone — or at dawn, dusk, or at night.
- Deer-proof your property to avoid attracting a lion’s main food source.
- Remove dense vegetation from around the home to reduce hiding spaces.
- Install outdoor lighting to make it difficult for mountain lions to approach unseen. Secure livestock and outdoor large pets in sturdy, covered shelters at night.
If you encounter a mountain lion, the agency advises not running, but facing the animal, making a loud noise and trying to look bigger. It is important to give the animal an escape route and be aware of your surroundings and whether you might be between a mountain lion and its cubs or prey.
To report a human-wildlife interaction, destruction of property, or depredation of pets or livestock, visit Wildlife Incident Reporting at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir/incident/create.
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 1:23 PM.
