Placerville neighborhood grows concerned after group of mountain lions spotted
EL DORADO COUNTY - Residents in Placerville are on edge after reports of a group of three mountain lions have been seen roaming the neighborhood of Blanchard Road.
"I feel like there's going to be a huge liability or a fatality if we don't get this figured out," Bryan Thornton said
Thornton owns property in the area and a business right across the street from where the animals were spotted.
"We had three mountain lions by one of my work trucks that was parked in my driveway, so it must be a mother and two cubs—however that works," Thornton said.
Leslie Parks also lives on Blanchard Road and said she hasn't seen the mountain lions herself, but she was told by a neighbor that a den might be near her property.
"The neighbor actually came over and told me because his wife has seen me every night faithfully walking our dogs," Parks said.
Walking the dogs or being outside at all after dusk is something residents in the area said they are now hesitant to do.
Thornton said he had five chickens and three goats killed in what he believes was a mountain lion attack less than a year ago. He said his granddaughter lives with him at his house, and the mountain lion sighting makes him worried for his family's safety.
"I just think overall, with the amount of people that live in this particular area, to say 'let's leave these mountain lions in their den there until somethings happens' is really just leaving it open for something catastrophic," Thornton said.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said in a statement:
"CDFW has received reports of mountain lion sightings and activity in the area of Blanchard Road, a rural part of El Dorado County that is prime mountain lion habitat. These are mountain lions behaving as mountain lions in their natural habitat and CDFW has received no reports of pets or livestock loss or any threat to public safety. Still, it's a good reminder to keep pets safe by not letting them out unattended in the early morning or evening hours when mountain lions and other wildlife are most active and to secure small livestock at night in their enclosures."
The CDFW also said they have not been out to that area and that mountain lions don't typically "den."
Ariane Debien lives in rural El Dorado County and said she has lost 14 goats in the past few years to mountain lion attacks.
"It's quite terrifying to know that your kids could be their next target and it's just really unfortunate," Debien said.
The CDFW encourages you to report mountain lion sightings or attacks against livestock or pets.