The 500 block of North Sunset Canyon Drive in Burbank is only 30 minutes of California traffic from downtown Los Angeles—between 15 and 20 minutes from attractions like Universal, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney Studios. It’s location doesn’t suggest mountain lions might be lurking nearby, but residents of the neighborhood know at least one is within striking distance.
A lion dragged a poodle away from its owners’ home in the community August 29. The Los Angeles Times reported the cat disappeared into the hills behind the home, leading officials to advise locals not to feed deer. No deer means a smaller chance of their natural predator being attracted back to the area.
Officials also instructed residents to not leave pet food outdoors, to be watchful, and to not run if they encounter a lion. Running triggers the cat’s predatory instincts and increases the likelihood of an attack.
The hillside home sits near a municipal park and a golf course. Wildwood Canyon Park is also close to the residence; it’s a state park encompassing 900 acres of mountainous terrain. According to the park’s website, it was intended for development until a wildfire and flooding caused developers to scrap their plans. It now offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding opportunities.
The park may have acted as a corridor for the mountain lion between the urban sprawl of South California, the larger La Tuna Canyon and Verdugo Mountain Parks, and the distant Angeles National Forest. ANF lies across US Interstate 210, a nine-lane concrete river that runs bisects the region.
Regardless of how or why, the lion found its way to Burbank and may still be in the vicinity.
The cat doesn’t seem deterred by the presence of humans, judging by its bold behavior in such a heavily populated area, so an attack on people could easily happen.
The Los Angeles Times reported an incident just like that in 2014. A 6-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion in Cupertino, north of Burbank in Silicon Valley, while walking with his parents near a winery. The cougar even tried to drag the child away, but his frantic parents fought off the animal. Authorities closed area hiking trails and used hounds to find the cat.
The boy suffered puncture wounds and scratches.
According to the Times‘ Sept. 7, 2014, piece, there had been thirteen mountain lion attacks in the state between 1986 and 2013, with three of them proving fatal. Like deer and coyotes, lions are becoming well-adjusted to human habitats and are becoming urban and suburban residents themselves. Confrontations between man and beast may increase as the line between man-made and natural habitats continue to blur.
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