Mountain lion seen in Carson City; safety tips given

Around 8:15 a.m. Friday morning, an employee of Sierra Nevada Media Group spotted a mountain lion roaming the parking lot in front of the Nevada Appeal office, 580 Mallory Way.

According to the employee, the lion ran off but its whereabouts were unknown. The sighting was reported to the Nevada Department of Wildlife later that morning.

Following the afternoon, the Appeal checked back in with NDOW’s Biologist Carl Lackey for updates. He said there wasn’t any further reports since the apparent sighting.

“In general, we haven’t gotten calls about mountain lion sightings,” he said. “It’s rare to see a mountain lion in city limits.”

Many people expressed their concerns through Nevada Appeal’s Facebook page, as Fremont Elementary School is only a few blocks away from the office.

With that, Lackey said he wants to remind the public about safety when coming across wildlife.

“With the mountains surrounding Carson City, mountain lions can come down at any given time,” he said. “But there are not as many lions as people believe. We mostly have coyotes and bears in the forest regions.”

According to NDOW, not all sightings of animals indicate a public safety issue unless potentially dangerous wildlife is found in a home, garage, or in close proximity of property. Those animals include not only mountain lions but black bears and rattlesnakes as well.

If it’s just a sighting, NDOW recommends don’t call authorities and maintain a safe distance.

Here are some tips from NDOW to follow if an incident occurs:

Leave the animal alone and maintain a safe distance.

Don’t run or turn your back from the animal if they’re less than 50 yards away.

Don’t try to feed the animal.

Don’t lose children from your sight — stick together as a group.

If your safety is at risk or an attack occurs, contact the Department of Wildlife Dispatch office at 775-688-1331 or 775-688-1332.

NDOW also has a BEAR hotline at 775-688-BEAR wired directly into the department’s dispatch center in Reno from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The hotline is for those who are experiencing situations with bears.