Submitted by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office

On Monday, Aug. 4, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office received two reports of a mountain lion sighting. The first call came in around 11:02 am with a caller advising that a lady who was running a loop and saw a cougar on a stump on the high side of White Point Road. The caller had not notified WDFW yet.

The second call came in around 7 p.m with the caller reporting that his wife was on a walk at the Roche Harbor Quarry with her dogs when her dogs started barking. She noted a mountain lion about 30 yards away on the upper trail and her dogs chased it away.

The SJCSO has notified a contact with WDFW who is notifying their problem animal officers about these sightings. If anyone else has a mountain lion sighting, please notify the SJCSO dispatch center and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police.

To help keep our community members safe in case you come across a mountain lion, here are some guidance on these situations:

Do’s:

Stop, stand tall, and face the lion: Do not run. Running can trigger a predatory response.

Make yourself look large and threatening: Open your jacket, raise your arms, and speak firmly and loudly.

Back away slowly: Give the lion an escape route. Do not turn your back.

If you have children, pick them up: Hold them securely without turning away or bending over.

If you are with pets, keep them close and on a leash.

If the lion acts aggressively, fight back: Use anything available as a weapon (rocks, sticks, your backpack, etc.).

Protect your head and neck: If attacked, try to stay on your feet and fight back aggressively.

Report the sighting to the WDFW: This helps them monitor and manage wildlife populations.

Don’ts:

Don’t run: Running can trigger a predatory response.

Don’t turn your back: Maintain eye contact and back away slowly.

Don’t crouch or bend over: This makes you appear smaller and more vulnerable.

Don’t approach the lion: Give it space and an escape route.

Don’t corner or trap the lion: This can escalate the situation.

Don’t offer the lion food or try to feed it: This can habituate the lion to humans and make it more likely to approach in the future.

WDFW has a dashboard on their website for reporting these sightings: