This past weekend a mountain lion attacked a hunter southeast of Kalispell - mountain lions are primarily a northwest Montana predator, and documented human attacks are rare.  We’ve had friends in Kalispell have pets taken off their decks by lions, but this is the first human attack in the area in a long time. 

Wildlife conflict specialist Erik Wenum was interviewed after the attack by the local media, and offered these comments regarding mountain lion saftey….

- Don’t run from a mountain lion; move slowly and try to back away from it.

- When hiking in lion country, make enough noise to avoid surprising a lion.

- Always keep children close and in sight.

- Never approach a mountain lion; give it a way out of a close situation.

- If you encounter a lion, stay calm. Talk to it in a confident voice.

- Do not turn your back on a mountain lion; maintain eye contact and face the animal.

- Let the lion know you are not a deer by remaining in an upright position.

- If a lion behaves aggressively, arm yourself with a large stick, rock or other object. If the lion attacks, stay standing and fight back with whatever object you have. Use pepper spray to deter an attack.

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