Mountain lion attack prompts wildlife warning in Los Angeles neighborhood

A mountain lion attacked and killed a pit bull over the weekend, prompting local officials to issue a “wildlife warning” in the Sylmar community.

The incident occurred Saturday night as a man was walking his pitbull, Gigi, in the neighborhood of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park near Foothill and Glenoaks boulevards.

Gigi was a stray in Bakersfield who was rescued by the nonprofit Southern California Pit Bull Rescue.

In a Facebook post, Mark Rulon, founder of the rescue, said the mountain lion jumped on the dog and would not let go. The owner told Rulon that he kicked the mountain lion, but it grabbed the dog anyway, Rulon said in the post.

While the owner ran for help, Rulon said, a woman driving by who witnessed the attack honked her horn, causing the mountain lion to drop Gigi’s body. The woman then contacted Rulon because Gigi was wearing a dog tag with the rescue’s number.

It’s unclear whether the dog’s owner was injured during the incident. According to the woman who witnessed the incident, Gigi was leashed at the time of the attack, Rulon said.

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“Gigi doesn’t have any obvious signs of trauma,” the Facebook post said. “It appears the mountain lion may have snapped her neck killing her instantly.”

“She was just a sweetheart of a little girl,” Rulon said in the post.

A day after the attack, Kurt Cabrera-Miller, president of the Sylmar Neighborhood Council, issued a wildlife warning, sharing his condolences for Gigi and reminding the community of its wildlife neighbors.

Carbrera-Miller urged Sylmar residents to follow the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s guidance on how to protect themselves, pets and other animals from wildlife. One tip is keeping domestic animals indoors or within completely enclosed shelters when they cannot be closely monitored. And when outdoors, the state agency said, animals should be kept on a leash, particularly at dawn, dusk and night, when mountain lions actively hunt.

To report a wildlife incident, fill out a form at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, detailing the location of the incident, what species you’re reporting and its effect on your community.