The lion wasn't hungry, and didn't want to be bothered.

Yeah, these stories usually end with "and then the Sheriff/Animal Control officer/whoever shot the mountain lion and disposed of the carcass," even when there's been no threat of danger. Good to see a level head was there, for once.

Animals, aka God's Innocent Children, have been the Planet Earth's caretakers for 400,000,000 years AND doing a Great job of it. We Humans are an Errant SpinOff evolved from the Great Apes 2,000,000 years ago and have been a one species wrecking team of the planet since. I am glad the Kitty was not hurt. Good Puppy; glad Cody wasn't lunch.

If you put out food(goats) you'll attract predators. Just like if you don't sweep up crumbs in the kitchen you'll get ants.

It's not the dog they worry about, it's the people - until relatively recently, people usually hunted them with dogs, so at an instinctual level they associate the barking of dogs with humans/ hunters.

But Rex there got a big confidence boost thinking it was his bad asz, so good for him :D

Wow, Phantom, I've never heard it phrased better. I will probably quote you.

Inasmuch as the dog is an 85# GSD, I'm not surprised by this story. I have a strong affinity for Shepherds and am always in awe of them. I think they take their orders directly from Saint Michael the Archangel.

I don't agree with Khalid.

GSDs are still very closely related to wolves. The big cat would recognize this and respond accordingly. In the wild, cougars are not necessarily dominant over wolves.

But don't take my word for it. Do your homework.

Mountain lions are relentless stalkers and ambush hunters. If they are surprised, they are huge cowards. They just never evolved the bluff the way some animals like bears have. A bear in a similar situation will bristle, stand up to make themselves seem larger and make loud aggressive noises. A mountain lion just uses its superior speed and climing ability instead. Not a big mystery.

Less children? Good idea. My school taxes would hopefully go down.

Chris is right. Typically most hunters would sooner stalk than face a charge; in the wild their are no docs to patch up your wounds and any injury could be life ending.

GSDs are still very closely related to wolves. The big cat would recognize this and respond accordingly. In the wild, cougars are not necessarily dominant over wolves.

Doubt there are wolves in the Los Altos area JKatze so this puma likely has never had a close encounter with them. But in regions where they co-exist, they are co-predators.

The danger with puma's/mountain lions is their proximity to human habitat's. In Alberta/Banff area there have been a few incidents over the years where they have attacked and in a few cases killed what they determine as small prey such as smaller women joggers and unattended children. There are cases where adults have fought off cougars. But generally left alone they stay away from humans. As a poster said this cougar was not likely hunting or the dog might have fared worse. I've seen video's where cats have chased away black bears.

I'm surprised authorities didn't sedate and then move the cougar to a further locale. That's likely the normal proceedure.

All you free loving protect the animals at all cost can go end yourselves to make more space for me and my buddies.

Only when I read the story that "so-in-so" took his life on "such and such" day as an extreme act of animal preservation will I believe that you truly care more for animals than you do for your fellow humans.

Which one of you are going first?

We Humans are an Errant SpinOff evolved from the Great Apes 2,000,000 years ago and have been a one species wrecking team of the planet since.

That's nature's fault. Blame her for the way we are, trying to constantly kill us with rapidly changing environments.

Wouldn't you be pissed off and act out if your mother was constantly trying to kill you all the time?

glad the animal was not harmed, both dog and cat.
you would be suprised how "scared" these animals are.

predators dont want to fight, they want the easy kill, that is why the sick, young and old get killed off and not the healthy.

i get the privlidge of flying a hawk, i am a falconer. when i trapped the bird it flopped on its back and waited for me to do what i will with it. no fight, no scream for its life, it just laid there willing to submit.
very strange for an avid killer to be so submissive right before something happens to it.

Doubt there are wolves in the Los Altos area JKatze so this puma likely has never had a close encounter with them. But in regions where they co-exist, they are co-predators.

Doesnt work that way, lions and wolves go back a long time, its instinct, not learned behavior that makes them fear wolves because mountain lions hunt alone and are defensless against more than one wolf, and this guy was smart enought to assume there might be more than one.

Animals, aka God's Innocent Children, have been the Planet Earth's caretakers for 400,000,000 years AND doing a Great job of it. We Humans are an Errant SpinOff evolved from the Great Apes 2,000,000 years ago and have been a one species wrecking team of the planet since.

THis is so much BS I dont know where to start. EVERY animal on Earth evolved to its present state and they ALL trace back to the same origins. To say Humans are younger than Lions is silly because we have common ancestors. As for destroying the planet, more BS, the planet will be fine long after we evolve to something else or it simply sluffs us off. Environmentalist, even though they push the truth, know that its about our ability to survive our impact on the Eaths, not the Earths ability to survive humans.

And all these natural events only effect humans, every species on the planet have to contend with mother nature. Humans are not capable of being a steward of anything much less planet Earth.

Big cats everywhere are hanging their heads low, brings new meaning to the term "Big Pussy" /sarc/

I wasn't going to go off topic, but about the comment that said humans are evolved ---- do you know how much hurt that statement is?

Think about that for a minute.

Believe me, the truth is the truth, and you know it is the truth.

Why do you believe a lie?

Humans evolved from ape like hominids the evolution process for Man is millions of years old

About one thousand times longer than when man wrote the bible.

Evolution is fact Creationism is a man made bull@!$%# story.

Please stop with the asinine references to the absurd religion of evolutionism. Earth is not your mother, animals are not the superior creatures, and neither the Puma nor the German Sheperd 'evolved' from a small, furry mammal.

What a scaredy cat

Apparantly JA can not understand that if God created the world, evolution is one of his means.

At the same time John Bayner cant grasp this from the other end.

If humans can be sure of anything it is that one, we dont know everything, and two, hardly anything is a black and white issue.

Puma's are, in reality, not aggressive animals at all. Unless they are hungry and see something as food, they are likely to just run away from a person or other animal that is bothering them. They also tend to be very shy, somewhat solitary animals. The behavior of this cat is not at all surprising and is actually what I would expect from a puma, particularly if is was not hungry. Generally if you are not seen as food by them, they would just as soon leave you alone so long as you leave them alone. However, you never want to corner one of them and leave them afraid with no escape route, either intentionally or unintentionally, you will get torn to shreds.

Thankfully the people involve with this encounter had the common sense to just back off and leave the cat alone. Having done so, the cat wandered away peacefully once the dog was gone. I am also glad that some over zealous sheriff or police officer did not shoot the puma. This situation could have easily turned far worse for all involved.

"Please stop with the asinine references to the absurd religion of evolutionism. Earth is not your mother, animals are not the superior creatures" Absolutely, JA1909! I don't know what's wrong with people believing in that nonsense. Any person with a brain should recognize evolution is a lie. The TRUTH is in the Bible. And it all makes sense. Snakes are not superior creatures, they're just friends we can have a conversation with in a beautiful garden. Over 5000 years ago, polar bears took a 5,000-mile sleigh ride from the Arctic into Mesopotamia so they could get on Noah's arc. Kangaroos hopped across the Indian Ocean from Australia with Koala Bears on their backs so they could also get on the arc. And the other 30 million animals species (times two) joined them. It was a strong boat! Plenty of room for 40 days worth of 60 million animals, their food, and their poop and piss. Why can't people understand something so logical. It should only take a week to create earth and all its inhabitants, no "millions of years of evolution." How absurd!

Poor cat- you can see the fear in it's face. Dog probably suprised him otherwise it probably would have been a fight. Suprised cats always run if possible.

John Baynor- "big pussy"? Lets see YOU say that to him face to face! It's so easy to call names and criticize here on NV. I'm sure you'd be screaming and yelling for help if an angry 120 lb dog suprised you & was trying to give you an extra posterior bodily orifice. You'd be looking for a tree too.

You apparently missed the /sarc/ reference. about the Big Pussy.

Don't work yourself into a tizzy over a joke.

Lol! Awesome Rick! Well put!! Were there dinosaurs on that boat too or how do they fit into the whole scheme of things?

You should also mention parting the seas and walking on water. Equally amazing accomplishments by humans during their tenure here on earth.

All jokes aside I haven't seen any reason to believe earth is a mother either like Avatar lol.....

Glad to hear there was a happy ending for all parties involved in this story!

Well, it appears you got your biblical history from the back of a cereal box... but at least your conclusion is correct... the religion of evolutionism is absurd.

Wow John, a 120 pound mountain lion, with its 4:1 weight to strength ratio advantage on humans means you are not scared of an animal as strong as a perfectly fit 480 pound human.

Something tells me you would wet yourself even if you had a gun.

J Katze has it right. All cats fear wolves and large dogs. The reason? They are pack hunters. You may see one dog (or wolf) but its likely there's another (or a dozen or two around!) Even a lion or tiger cannot stand up against a pack of Hyenas.

Men are pack hunters too! That's why dogs and us get along so well.

Another point-- Man and Dogs are the only two cursorial hunters on the planet. A "cursorial hunter" is "one that follows." Leo the Lion, Tony the Tiger, Charlie the Cheetah's motto is "If at first you don't succeed, forget it." They can put on a blinding burst of speed, but if they can't bring down the prey, they can't go the distance. Humans with their tremendous cardio-vasular system, and the doggies with their huge tongues which can pant can cool their body heat down so their blood doesn't boil their own brains. Means all they have to do is lope along behind the deer and the antelope and run them to earth. That's why the most honored compliments for men are "Dogged" "Stick-to-it-iveness" etc.

It's also why wolves won't attack people unless the human is very young or about to fall over. They know that you could pound them to snail-snot with your fists. The wolves know who the REAL killers are.

You're daddy's name is "Cody" and don't forget it cat.

You left out a whole bunch, what about Larry the Lynx, Ollie the Ocelot, Billy the Bobcat and the ever popular Charlie the Cheetah, oh wait you mentioned him.

I agree with your post Sig just attempting a little humor

How the heck do you know that its 4:1? Did you actually verify that in an experiment? That would mean it could kill a man in a single swipe. I would say that considering that people survived attacks with mountain lions I would say its less than 4:1. Im no expert but common sense suggests it would be 2:1. I mean if they are THAT strong than taking down a man would be no problem for them. I know people suggested that they do not like to fight with their prey much but...with that strength an average man would be a cinch to kill. If UFC fighters can knock someone out in a single blow than so should they if they possess a 4:1 weight to strength ratio.

Shouldn't have been hittin on younger men...

whats funny is the fact that noone paniked.....

The comments are too funny! How did this turn into a battle between the bible and evolution? Hmmm...I wonder how you explain that the bible tells us that the earth is only so old, but scientific facts tell us that the earth is millions of years old. It also tells us that dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, cavemen, etc... existed well before Adam and Eve. Makes you wonder...

most animals will avoid anything that could cause injury even if they know they'd win the fight because a small wound can be deadly and there's no doctors in the wild

It's actually lucky for Cody he didn't back the lion into a corner. Most animals won't fight if they can avoid it. They attack when they're hunting for food, protecting their young or territory or in defense when there is no other choice. It would have been a different story had this cougar had no place to retreat.

German Shepherds have some of the strongest jaws on the planet. Also, if you were just scooting alone, minding your business and along comes this large, noisy and toothsome dog, what would you do? If you could climb a tree and wait it out it would seem the intelligent thing to do. Attacking something in the wild is either done for food, fear or defense. Now, it would seem a large toothsome German Shepherd would make a challenging choice for dinner, unlike, say a toy poodle or dachshund. (Note: Little dachshunds, pound for pound, are some of the most belligerent and aggessive wee beasties known...except for the neighbor's chihuaha, now that is a vicious little beast)

Wed 2/22/12 That Mountain Lion is just Licking His Chops & waiting for the opportunity to Kill & Eat that Dog.

These are Predators that must Kill to Live, that House Pet doesn't stand a chance that Mountain Lion.

SPW in Alaska

How the heck do you know that its 4:1?

Because its comon knowledge to animal lovers, because my vet is also the vet at a zoo and he takes care of big cats, and because I own sled dogs and they are the strongest pack animal on the planet over oxen, elephants and anything else, pound for pound and they have a 4:1 strength to weight ratio over humans. Most dogs are about 3:1. Mountain lions are closely related to dogs and thier strength to weight ratio is about the same as a sled dog and most definitly not less than a dog.

This is why a mountain lion can leap 30 feet from a standstill, or to jump 15 feet straight up a cliff wall. Can you?

A typical Alaskan Malamute can pull 4000 pounds 100 feet in 60 seconds. Can you?

THATS HOW I KNOW!

Right, Jim, good dog. I am glad this article appeared. May be some of those inside-the-beltway softies can understand why we want to hold on to our guns out here. If we should surprise on of these predators, nothing else can help us. No, we don't hunt them , but we would like to have a fighting chance if they attack us.

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty

the cat can not take a chance on being injured and that 85 LB dog would have sure left a nasty mark and could have mortally wounded the cat. If the cat has been hurt where it can not longer catch prey than it will die. Based upon Natural selection the cat will avoid a fight thats why you NEVER RUN FROM THEM. You appear very aggressive throw rocks and make loud noise (give them an excape route) they will run for their life.

Sorry johngis, but in a true fight, the cougar would easily have won over the German Shepherd. Female cougars take on grizzly bears head on to defend their cubs without hesitation and come out victorious. Why this cougar bolted up a tree I don't know but cougars surely don't have a problem taking on wild wolves and destroying them. I think with just these examples, a fully adult cougar would easily take down a German Shepherd, imho.

stuey, you are correct. They will take on a bear. But only if they have to. johngis was saying why would the cat take the chance? Even if the cat ended up killing the dog, which I tend to agree that it could if pushed, the cat chose to not fight and waited it out in the tree. They aren't thrill seekers, adrenaline junkies or stupid. Wild animals can't recoup in a hospital. No one will treat their wounds or feed them. They get hurt, they die. If you had the choice of fighting for no reason or retreating, what would you do?

john is right, 100% right.

HarryBalsaki - You've opened my eyes and helped me see. I see your reasoning and accept it.

The reason you do not run from them is because they have prey drive, meaning that they chase their food and anything that runs. So, when an animal, human or non-human, takes filght, the cougar instinctively runs it down.

Most wild animals do not attack humans to be mean. They are either protecting their young, mate, or itself. A sick or hungry animal may attack a human. Typically, wild animals avoid humans. However, we are making it harder and harder for them to avoid us. We are pushing them out of their territory. By taking a few safety precautions and staying alert to your surroundings, we can live peacefully together. I live on a large ranch. We have cougars, bobcats, 400lb feral hogs, rattlesnakes, copperheads and cotton mouths. We take our precautions and we try to stay prepared should something unexpected happen. When we do see these creatures, we watch in awe. I love wildlife, except for the feral hogs! We do hunt those nasty, vile creatures.

Here in Montana, we have mountain lions, bears, mooses (yeah- mooses !), bobcats around our houses quite often. In November, my Shepherd sent a 300-pound bear up a tree. The animals usually keep a distance from people, which is fine with both parties concerned. If they do cause a problem by staying around, Wildlife authorities will try to sedate them and re-locate them to more remote areas. Most of the time, the animals just move on. We understand eachother ! However, we also keep our children inside until the coast is clear.

Snagglepus says......."Exit stage left!"

I went to school with a chick we called Snagglepuss. And Doorknob....

I know that girl! We called her "screen door" and "ten pin".

@Scott...not a scardey cat, a smart cat. Evidently, smarter than you :) It seems you'd prefer to fight a dog because it's showing its teeth and barking loud? The cat knows dogs don't climb trees and he had a simple solution, to avoid any potential injury or ruckus. If the cat was in a pissy mood like the dog, one slap across the dog's face is all it'd take to have it fly across the barn. But wild animals don't do this for youtube. They're trying to survive without drawing attention to themselves.

We also called her The Porcupine, but only to her face.

Not really. A lot of our more affluent homes are in rural places. On Monday my family and I went up to Palomar Mt. to visit the snow. Those home up there are incredible. HUGE mansions on top of the surrounding hills with what must be the most wonderful view.

oak tree at an upscale home on La Barranca and Elena roads:

he will put his goats in a locked barn just in case the big cat comes back

What was surprising to me was that the homeowner felt the need to call The California Department of Fish and Game who let the mountain lion leave on its own terms. Living where they live and having an abundance of food, they must see wild predators all the time. Were they afraid of losing a goat, a natural food source for the mountain lion? As someone who loves animals as those homeowners apparently do, I would not have called anyone (other than my neighbors). As others have stated here I, too, am very surprised that the officers let the lion go unharmed. Live and let live is my motto.

@Auzziegirl

As someone who loves animals as those homeowners apparently do, I would not have called anyone (other than my neighbors). As others have stated here I, too, am very surprised that the officers let the lion go unharmed. Live and let live is my motto.

Mountain lion sightings should ALWAYS be reported. It is an important tool for conservation officers tracking their population and range. Mountain lions are RARELY shot and killed so your surprise just shows your lack of knowledge. When it does happen it's because they attacked someone or were far outside their range and possing a threat to people. Typically this means they are in areas where people would not expect to find them and therefore would be taking no precautions to avoid an encounter. A lion that gets shot will always make the news, the only surprising thing about this story is that we ever heard about it.

@back agreed, you aren't supossed to shoot them ever though(within reason). You usauly hit them with a dart and release them in the wild.

Phil, that is a good point. If you want to attract animals, you feed them. If their food is goats, they will come. If you put out hay for the deer, they will attract predators; you are in effect "feeding" the predators. Most people won't know this : it is actually against Federal Law to feed any kind of wildlife. Every feedstore has that sign. It is not only meant to protect us, but also the animals. Ruthless people might try to tame deer or turkeys so that they can kill them right in their yard. That 's also against the law.

And remember : if the deer now that there was food at your house in Winter, they will expect it in Summer as well. As long as it tastes good, they will eat it, especially the roses. Nothing but rats on stilts ! : )

It's not a kitty. It is a ferocious killer. But if you leave it alone, chances are it will leave you alone, too.

My beagle would have humped the hell out of it before he let it up any tree.

OMG... you are hysterical Sirlafalot (hence your name)!!!!!! Beagles are infamous for such things and let me tell you; I know have a visual that won't fade away anytime soon!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO!!!!

Sir ... that made me spit my drink at the screen. My beagle would have tried the same thing!

Bwahahahahahahahaha........

I had a 16 pound mutt terrier that survived a fight he picked with a great dane. He had to get about 20 stitches and the stripe on his chest did not line up right after that but his attitude did nhot change.

Little dogs can be very scrappy.

That was so funny! (The beagle remark, not the dog fight) And true. My sister had several beagles many years ago. They were all sweet little guys, all were neutered. But they lived to hump each other (males and females) and any other creature that crossed their path.

They are a funny, bright, headstrong breed, and hers never bit or even got testy. Happy little campers.

Heather, CA Dept of Fish & Game estimates there are between 4000 and 6000 cougars in CA. Hunting them has been outlawed for many years. They are a protected species but are not endangered.

They were there first and it pisses me off when people panic over a wild animal that is just trying to live its life. Stupid people!

I'll bet you just love it when squirrels and rats and mice and birds make nests and chew into your food and possessions and pi$$ and $hit all over your house, I am sure you just say that it is ok because afterall there were there first, using your logic you really should not be living where you are because at one time it was wilderness and belonged to the animals.

Amen!

Tiber..... Very true. There isn't a dog that exists that can take on a full grown mountain lion, especially if the lion is seriously hungry. A full grown Doberman was recently killed by a lion in the foothills near my home. I'm pleased that the lion and the dog are okay!

Not completely true, there are a few accounts of Malamutes killing big cats, and even one of a Malamute killing a polar bear. A Malamute can top out at 150 pounds and they have no debilitating human breeding issues like oversized body parts to deal with. They are basically Arctic Wolves.

@ Fred, who you going to call when an old, slow cougar trying to survive is in a neighborhood killing pets and such? Are you going to call PAWS? Are you going to call PETA? The ASPCA? Do you think they will come remove a dangerous animal? I know this one wasn't doing damage, so they let it go. But seriously...who would you like to have come remove the animal? How would you prefer it dealt with?

You sound like a person who loves animals and dislikes the hunting of wild game. Fair enough. To each his own. Don't make this a gun nut vs gun paranoid discussion. IMO, it makes you look foolish.

Harry ...I hunt....I hunt to eat sometimes. I am neither a "gun nut" or "gun paranoid"... I have had pets killed by wild animals. This animal was not a threat. It is easy to tell the difference when you live with them and not just around them. If people are going to reside where these animals are they should do a little research on them and their habitat (as it is shrinking and ours is growing)

PValdes, I hunt as well. I live in a town surrounded by Douglas Fir in the PNW. I agree on the "live with, not around" frame of mind. I was making a few points for Fred that he shouldn't be so quick to judge all game wardens as NRA members. Or that they just show up to blast a cat out of a tree. Not all situations go so smoothly, as an old cat is a dangerous cat. Relocation projects do work and are not an automatic death sentence. Also, that these no-kill animal lovers more than likely would not show up to get that big 'ol cuddly kitty out of the tree. That pretty much leaves the NRA/game wardens to come help.

What a sad outlook on life. Ignoring all the good and obsessing on the bad. Pitiful.

The cat does appear to be smirking. In its mind, Cody was nothing but a bother on a Tuesday morning. I'm glad no animals were hurt in the making of this article.

I agree with your premise, not your conclusion. The courgar is going to find the easiest meal it can and will reteat unless there is a reason to stand its ground (territorial dispute or it's starving).

Large predators retreat all the time from smalleer animals that stand their ground. The slightest injury in pursuit of a meal could mean death.

If the courgar reteated for fear of hunters, it lost! Hunters would have easily picked it off out of the tree and the dog would have done his job.

Kitty cat? Try petting him.

Yorkies, poodles, and $hitsus (sp?) are not real dogs. They are rug rats.

Yorkies are appetizers.

@alan - you forgot to mention chihuahuas!!!!!

I live in the Northeastern U.S. and I agree with you...we don't have cougars out here. There isn't one bit of evidence of a "natural" cougar (occasionally the idiots who think owning big cats as "pets" will have them escape but we don't have any in the wild). I remember the story about the CT one...an amazing story but, as you said, definitely an oddball.

Oh boy, another idiot compensating for his other short comings by acting what he believes is manly.

nosferatu-499026

Oh boy, another idiot compensating for his other short comings by acting what he believes is manly.

nosferatu-499026

Ahhh, tough guy. Trying to make up for the size of your pen is?

Wow...someone is obsessed with the male reproductive system

Oak or cypress?....big boy

Pine or maple for me. I like it sticky.

maple baby....................now you're talking my part of the world!

Dogs have depth perception,Retrievers especially can mark where a duck or other game drops when it is shot and they run/swim to that location and will then use their sense of smell as well as their eyesight to find the game if it has moved,crawled or drifted. There is an old rumor that dogs have no sense of size in that a small dog will pick a fight with a big dog because it can not see that the big dog is bigger than it is, That is an old wives tale and not true, Dogs can tell size. They just do not associate size with danger or fear, That is until after they learn from a bad encounter, Just as the Shepherd in this article was not afraid of the Mountain Lion, had the Lion attacked and injured the shepherd it would then associate fear to a mountain lion

@Styro, if a dog has no depth perception, how do they catch things in their mouths? Just throwin that out there....

I was going for a joke, but I guess it didn't work. I should have said "size".