Sheriff’s deputies believe a mountain lion is to blame for the
deaths of four goats and three Barbados sheep, killed near Kenyatta
Road in east Gilroy within a half-mile of Pacheco Pass this
week.
Gilroy – Sheriff’s deputies believe a mountain lion is to blame for the deaths of four goats and three Barbados sheep, killed near Kenyatta Road in east Gilroy within a half-mile of Pacheco Pass this week. The attacks hit unusually close to the city, deputies said, and could indicate a growing trend.
“We’ve been here since 1980 and never had a problem,” said Al Howard, a Kenyatta Road resident whose family has lost four pet goats in two attacks. All were pierced through the neck, but barely eaten, if at all, he said. Sheriff’s deputy Gabe Sandoval said the 5-foot fences around the property indicated that the predator was likely a lion.
“I’m not an expert,” he cautioned, “but I feel pretty confident that only a mountain lion could get in there.”
Neighbors Mike and Lita Meazell lost three sheep in a single day, a few weeks after their daughter spotted a baby mountain lion in the nearby hills.
“We normally hear about mountain lions around (Gavilan) college, but never here,” said Mike Meazell, who has lived in the area for about 15 years.
The Department of Fish and Game wardens issued a depredation permit to Howard, allowing him to shoot the cat, he said. Area warden Kyle Kroll could not be reached by press time Wednesday to confirm. At least one depredation permit has already been issued in Gilroy this year, after a spate of goat killings off the 9800 block of New Avenue. Such permits are rare: Only one was issued in 2006, according to DFG.
“We’re starting to see them coming farther and farther down,” said Sandoval, who cited water shortages and booming development that pushes lions out of their usual habitat as possible factors.
Mountain lions are typically harmless and rarely attack humans, said Lt. Dale Unger, but residents should call 911 if they spot lions in populated areas.
For more information on mountain lions, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion.html.
