No matter how cute they look, don’t try to approach the “murder kitten," the director of San Marcos Parks and Recreation said.
“ That's just a phrase I've seen on social media" to refer to mountain lions, Jamie Lee Case said. “They’re very pretty animals, that is for sure, but admire from afar.”
Case said a staff member was off trail near Dante's Trail, which runs through the length of Purgatory Creek Natural Area, on April 17. She saw a herd of deer pass by, and then she saw something out of the corner of her eye.
“As she described it, she saw a deer climbing out of a tree,” Case said. “Deer don’t climb out of trees … so she quickly realized, ‘Oh my goodness, that is a mountain lion.’”
Mountain lions and deer have similar coloring, Case said.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has not confirmed the sighting.
Natasia Moore, the TPW urban wildlife biologist for the Austin area, said usually the opposite happens with potential mountain lion sightings.
“Typically, we see coyotes, bobcats, even gray foxes and free-roaming dogs and cats getting confused as mountain lions,” she said. “Maybe they didn’t see the entire animal, or they found a track out in the mud, and it ended up just being a big dog or something.”
TPW runs an online database of confirmed mountain lion sightings. The department sends someone out to the scene to confirm the sighting, checking for photos or videos, tracks or droppings.
The only confirmed sightings in the area since 1982 have been in Blanco and Williamson counties. But that doesn’t mean the animals aren't around.
“They can travel really long distances and so usually they're just passing through,” Moore said. “Usually, they go undetected, which is why we don't typically see them or get confirmed sightings for our map.”
The City of San Marcos is warning people to stay safe while on trails in the area. Although mountain lions are dangerous, they rarely interact with or attack people. As a general precaution, park visitors should hike with a buddy, stay on the trails, keep children and pets close, and leave parks before sunset, when wildlife is most active.
If you happen to spot a mountain lion while on your walk, don’t approach it.
“Don't run away, don't turn your back on it, [you] just wanna back away,” Moore said. “Make yourself look big and move kind of slowly, and you can shout at it. … Don't try and touch them and don't get in their space. They’re just protecting themselves.”
