By now, you have probably seen the viral 6 minute video of a hiker that had an encounter with a mountain lion. We live amongst the wildlife in Boise County and no matter the species, residents and visitors should always remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. Our community does a great job alerting others right away of any mountain lion sightings and share recordings from their security cameras on Facebook.

Elk and deer roam our area and they are the natural prey base for mountain lions. When living or visiting the mountains, it’s always important to be prepared for any encounters with wildlife. Below are some tips from mountainlion.org should you ever come across a mountain lion while spending time in the mountains.

Make noise.
Yell, shout, bang your walking stick or water bottle. Make any loud sound that cannot be confused by the lion as the sound of prey. Speak slowly and as loudly as possible.

Seem as large as possible.
Make yourself appear larger by picking up children, leashing pets in, and standing close to other people. Open your jacket. Raise your arms. Wave your raised arms slowly.

Act defiant, not afraid.
Maintain eye contact. Never run past or away from a mountain lion. Don't bend over or crouch down. Aggressively wave your arms, throw stones or branches, do not turn away.

Slowly create distance.
Assess the situation. Consider whether you may be between the lion and its kittens, prey or cache. Back away slowly to give the mountain lion a path to retreat, never turning your back. Give the lion the time and ability to get away.

Protect yourself.
If attacked, fight back. Protect your neck and throat. People have used rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, walking sticks, fanny packs and even bare hands to turn away mountain lions.