Mountain Lion Reports* Since 1996 on the UCSC Campus

*Note: Caution must be used when interpreting reports from the public involving mountain lions. Many reports are difficult, if not impossible, to verify based on limited information provided, and/or people's limited knowledge of what lions look like, their habits, etc.

Date/Time Sighting information:

1/29/07 2:00 AM A visitor to campus reported encountering an animal in the campus natural reserve between the Arboretum and the West Entrance to campus, which he believed to be a mountain lion. He heard the animal growl and saw its eyes when he turned on his flashlight, but did not see the animal itself. The animal ran away as soon as the flashlight was turned on.

6/18/06 11:00 PM A resident of Highview Drive, which borders UCSC property, said he saw a large mountain lion in his backyard. The animal ran off in the direction of Inclusion Area A, the large open field off Empire Grade Road across from the UCSC Arboretum.

3/21/06 2:00 PM A woman reported seeing a mountain lion in the Moore Gulch area, between Oakes College and the UCSC Arboretum. She said the animal appeared to be carrying an animal the size of a raccoon in its mouth.

4/29/06 10:50 PM Two students saw a large animal near the top of the stairs leading from Hagar Drive to the Village. They were unable to see the animal clearly because it was dark out, but they thought it was a mountain lion. The animal did not appear to notice the two people.

1/19/06 12:15 PM Two runners saw what they believed to be a mountain lion on the Lookout Trail in Pogonip park, below the Coolidge Drive lookout on the east side of campus. The animal was about 150 yards away from the runners and did not appear to notice them. The campus animal control officer searched the area immediately but did not find the animal.

1/12/06 12:45 PM A couple walking in Inclusion Area A, the open field off Empire Grade Road across from the UCSC Arboretum, reported seeing a mountain lion near the treeline on the west side of the field. The animal did not appear to notice the people.

1/5/06 Residents of the 2300 block of Empire grade Road, off campus, found a dead deer in their front yard that appeared to have been killed by a mountain lion. The UCSC animal control officer inspected the carcass and determined that it was consistent with a mountain lion kill.

4/20/05 9:00 AM A small mountain lion attempted to jump through a window at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration building at Long Marine Laboratory. The Department of Fish & Game responded but was unable to locate the animal, which may have been sick.

11/23/04 11:15 AM Two UCSC shuttle drivers reported seeing a mountain lion in the Inclusion Area A field off Empire Grade across from the West Entrance to campus. The campus animal control officer responded and found the animal, which was actually a large bobcat.

11/20/04 8:00 PM A student saw a large animal in the dark behind the West Field House at College Eight, which she believed to be a mountain lion. The animal did not appear to notice the student and continued walking up the path toward the parking lot. The College Eight community safety officer responded to the area immediately, but did not see the animal. The campus animal control officer later searched the area but did not find any evidence of a mountain lion's presence.

4/21/04 6:45 PM A jogger in the backwoods behind the fire department and College 9 saw a mountain lion on Fuel Break Road just north of Spring Road. The lion, which was about 15 feet in front of the jogger on the fire road, appeared startled but did not show any aggression. The jogger stopped, made herself look bigger, and backed away. The lion turned and walked in the other direction and did not appear interested in the person. The campus animal control officer later found tracks on the fire road that were consistent with mountain lion prints.

10/13/03 12:30 PM While walking on the fire road behind the Arboretum, a staff member saw an animal that may have been a mountain lion about 100 feet southwest of the rear Arboretum gate. The animal disappeared into the bushes and did not show any aggression.

9/10/03 5:15 PM A UCSC staff member saw what appeared to be a juvenile mountain lion in the ravine behind University House that leads to Oakes college. After looking at the person for a few seconds, the animal walked off into the ravine.

8/14/03 5:30 PM The Chancellor and a Vice Provost saw what they described as a full-grown mountain lion, near the top of the bike path behind University House. The animal appeared to be watching some deer.

8/4/03 10:30 AM A campus police officer found a deer carcass in the Jordan Gulch ravine about 1/4 mile north of the Village. The animal control officer investigated and determined that the deer, a mature doe, appeared to have been killed by a mountain lion.

7/7/03 12:30 AM A student worker saw a mountain lion near the Crown-Merrill apartments after midnight. The lion was walking on a paved path at the edge of the apartments, heading into the woods. The animal did not show any interest in the person.

4/13/03 8:30 AM A staff member and her husband saw a large wild cat in the Arboretum. The UCSC animal control officer investigated the incident but was unable to determine whether they had seen a bobcat or a mountain lion. The same people also found tracks that day on the fire road behind the Arboretum that may have been made by a mountain lion.

3/9/03 5:30 PM A jogger encountered a mountain lion on the fire road northeast of the UCSC Arboretum. The jogger came around a corner and saw the lion about 50 feet away; it saw her but did not behave aggressively. The jogger stopped, made herself look bigger, and slowly backed away. The animal did not follow her.

1/30/03 6:15 AM A staff member riding uphill on the bike path saw a mountain lion to the right of the path, just north of the Village. The animal watched the bicyclist but did not move or show any threatening behavior.

1/8/03 4:00 PM A student saw two smaller wild cats behind the back gate of the Arboretum that she believed to be mountain lion cubs. The UCSC animal control officer investigated the sighting but was not able to determine whether the student had seen bobcats or mountain lion cubs, although they were more likely bobcats.

12/2/02 8:30 PM A UCSC custodian saw an adult mountain lion outside the Hahn Student Services building. The lion was apparently startled by a noise, and ran into the nearby Jordan Gulch ravine. The animal did not show any interest in the custodian.

7/27/02 1:30 AM At the Village housing area, several people heard growling and what sounded like "bones crunching" in a heavily wooded ravine between the buildings and the quarry wall. No one actually saw any animals in the area, but they described the growling noises as very loud and "cat-like."

7/13/02 2:30 PM A student found a dead deer at the Village that appeared to have been killed by a mountain lion.

7/12/02 10:00 AM A staff person driving down Empire Grade Rd. saw a what he believed to be a mountain lion cross the road just north of the Cave Gulch turnout. The animal ran from the natural reserve behind Porter college across to the other side of the road and disappeared into the woods.

6/24/02 4:00 PM A bicyclist in the backwoods above the North Remote parking lot saw a mountain lion on a dirt road off the main fire road. The lion saw the bicyclist and ran away.

3/27/02 4:00 PM A UCSC anthropology professor, walking on the dirt path behind the old student center and the music center, saw a mountain lion hunting a small animal near a grove of trees. The lion did not appear to notice the person, and walked away after a few minutes.

3/27/02 12:00 PM A staff person reported seeing a mountain lion in the Inclusion Area A pasture, off Empire Grade Road across from the Arboretum. The animal did not seem to notice her.

2/11/02 2:00 AM A student living at the Village saw an animal outside her dorm room which she thought may have been a mountain lion. However, it was dark out and she did not get a good look at the animal, which wandered up the hillside toward Hagar Dr.

1/7/02 12:00 PM Two students saw what they thought was a mountain lion while they were walking on the road into the Village. No one else in the area saw the animal, and the animal control officer did not find any signs of a mountain lion in the area.

12/12/01 3:45 PM A UCSC maintenance staff person saw a mountain lion at the Village housing area in the lower quarry. The lion walked out of a ravine and behind some buildings before the person lost sight of it. The Village proctor also reported seeing a mountain lion in the same area later that evening. Mountain lion warning flyers were posted in the area, and the UCSC animal control officer presented a talk on animal safety to Village residents.

12/8/01 9:30 PM A mountain lion sighting was reported at College Eight behind apartment building 3. College Eight staff posted warning notices in the area, but did not report the incident to the UCSC animal control officer. The report could not be substantiated.

10/3/01 1:25 AM Someone reported seeing a mountain lion in the Porter college quad "by the big tree." The Porter proctor and a police officer responded right away but did not find anything.

9/24/01 11:30 AM A UCSC staff person saw what he believed to be a mountain lion running across Coolidge Dr. near Hagar Dr., heading toward Pogonip park. He described the animal as 5 feet long, light tan in color, with a very long tail. No evidence of a mountain lion was found in the area.

9/18/01 10:30 AM A jogger reported seeing a mountain lion behind the Crown-Merrill apartments, just off U-Con trail in Pogonip park. The UCSC animal control officer did not find any evidence of a mountain lion in the area.

5/24/01 8:30 PM Someone reported seeing a mountain lion just off Empire Grade Road, 300 yards south of the UCSC west entrance. A campus police officer responded but was unable to verify the report.

5/15/01 9:20 AM A woman called to say she thought she spotted a mountain lion in the field between the Arboretum and the UCSC west entrance. The reporting party said "it was large and lumbering and was not a deer."

11/14/00 12:15 PM A staff member reported seeing a mountain lion in Inclusion Area A, the meadow off Empire Grade Road directly across from the UCSC West entrance. The animal control officer responded and found a large coyote in the area, which may have been the animal the person saw.

10/2/00 1:25 AM A student was jogging down Empire Grade Road late at night when he encountered a mountain lion at the side of the road, north of the UCSC Arboretum. The student made himself "look big" and the animal retreated into the bushes. The student used a cell phone to call 911 and campus police officers responded but were not able to find a mountain lion in the area.

10/1/00 just before midnight A student reported seeing a mountain lion in the Porter meadow about 30-40 feet away.

9/23/00 10:00 AM A staff member was riding down the campus bike path, north of the farm, when he saw a mountain lion run across the path and into the bushes. The animal did not appear to notice the person. He described the animal as a very large tan colored cat, about 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet long, with a very long tail.

9/12/00 3:00 PM A graduate student reported that she saw a mountain lion while she was riding down the campus bike path, near the farm. The UCSC animal control officer responded and found a large coyote in the same area.

9/6/00 12:40 PM A UCSC staff member reported seeing a baby mountain lion on Empire Grade Road near the Arboretum. The sighting was unconfirmed, and there were several bobcats living in the area.

6/27/00 7:30 PM A group of people on the bike path saw a large mountain lion crouched in the grass in the ravine behind the music center. They watched it for about 15 minutes. It appeared to be hunting deer, and did not seem to notice or react to the people.

4/20/00 5:45 PM A student spotted what appeared to be a mountain lion near the driveway to the Chancellor's residence. A few days later, several other people reported seeing a bobcat in the same area, which may have been the same animal (see Cougar or Bobcat?).

4/16/00 5:00 AM A citizen driving on High Street reported seeing a mountain lion under a tree near the main entrance.

2/20/00 1:00 AM Two students saw a mountain lion while walking on the path between Oakes College and Performing Arts. They reported that they were walking along and heard something on the side of the hill next to them. They looked up and saw the lion about 25 feet away, "crouched" down looking at them. They continued to walk beyond the lion without incident. They stated that the lion "just sat there and looked at us."

2/12/2000 9:00 PM A UCSC parking officer saw a small or juvenile mountain lion on Hagar & Steinhart, between the Baytree Bookstore and Cowell College. The animal quickly disappeared into a grove of redwood trees.

10/27/99 9:30 PM A Crown student bicycling on the fire road through Marshall Field encountered a mountain lion near some bushes. The lion, which was about 30 yards away from the student, looked at him and then turned and ran away after he waved his arms and shined his flashlight on it.

10/5/99 4:15 AM A proctor saw a big cat at the south section of the Porter parking circle. The proctor said he was sure it was a mountain lion because of its approximately 3 foot long tail and "feline gait."

9/28/99 12:35 AM A student reported a mountain lion close encounter at Oakes College. The student was walking away from the Oakes foot bridge and was confronted by a large mountain lion that emerged from a nearby grove of trees. The lion came within 6 feet of the student and "took a swipe" at him with its paw. The student stopped, backed away slowly, and raised his jacket to make himself look bigger, and the lion eventually turned and ran away. No one was injured. The lion was most likely following prey through the area, which like all of campus is heavily populated by deer. Mountain Lion Alert posters were posted throughout the campus.

5/28/99 4:20 AM A UCSC staff member saw a mountain lion standing by a tree near the Porter Circle. The animal stood and watched the person for a period of about 10 minutes. When the person's ride arrived the animal disappeared.

5/26/99 12:00 AM A student reported seeing a mountain lion walking up a cement path from Heller Drive. The lion was about to jump into a tree right next to the walkway until it saw the person. When the lion saw the person it turned and walked slowly away.

5/10/99 3:30 PM A student reported seeing a mountain lion on the footpath between Crown College and Social Sciences I.

4/13/99 10:00 PM A person was sitting on the rock wall at the rear of McHenry Library. A large mountain lion walked out from the woods and into a lighted area. The animal looked at the person and continued on its way. When a car drove by, it quickened its pace and disappeared into the woods.

4/7/99 10:00 PM A person was walking across Chinquapin towards the fire department and saw a mountain lion crossing the road heading towards the lower Crown lot. The person reported that the animal reacted nonchalantly to her presence and just kept on walking.

3/1/99 11:25 PM A person saw a large mountain lion "slinking" very quickly through Kresge College lot #143 at 11:25 PM. The lion was heading towards the Porter Meadow.

2/3/99 3:00-3:30 PM 2 hikers saw a cat on the fire trails in the backwoods near Chinquapin Rd. They noticed the animal following them for some distance before it disappeared.

2/3/99 4:30 AM A pedestrian spotted a lion near the shoulder of the road on Chinquapin near McLaughlin. The animal produced a "high-pitched" vocalization and "snarled" at him. He raised his hands, screamed and stamped his feet. The cat then left the area.

1/14/99 12:13 PM A cyclist was riding on Chinquapin Rd. near the water tanks when a juvenile mountain lion crossed the trail in front of him.

2/27/98 12:20 PM A campus employee was walking north on Chinquapin from the Fire Department when a large mountain lion crossed her path. The animal was walking briskly and did not pay any attention to her. She estimated the cat's height to be approximately 2 1/2' at the shoulders.

9/30/97 2:30 PM A motorist driving north on Coolidge Dr. reported that a mountain lion ran across the road about 10 yards in front of him. The animal was heading towards the Pogonip.

9/15/97 8:30 AM A couple of walkers on the road leading to Agroecology saw a mountain lion "just sitting" in the tall grass on the other side of the bike path. They watched it for a few minutes while several bikers rode past it. Then the animal stood up and casually walked off disappearing inside the bay trees.

9/9/97 7:00 AM A biker saw a mountain lion in the gravel parking lot between the Farm Project and the Predatory Bird Research Group. The cat was casually walking along the trail, and heading towards bird group. The lion turned around, looked at the bike rider and then commenced walking down the trail apparently "in no hurry."

8/22/97 8:00 AM A driver on Heller Drive saw a mountain lion walking "very casually" along the roadside near Oakes College. It disappeared from her view when it went down into a drainage ditch.

7/24/97 12:45 PM A jogger on in the back woods, on Chinquapin Road approximately .5 mi. from Fuel Break Road, reported hearing the vocalizations of a mountain lion emanating from the brush.

6/30/97 11:00 AM A driver was driving on Hagar Drive and reported seeing a mountain lion stalking a doe across from Agroecology in the meadow on Hagar and Coolidge.

6/25/97 4:30 PM A jogger on Fuel Break Road, reported that a mountain lion crossed the path about 20 feet ahead of her and disappeared into the brush.

6/3/97 4:30 PM A hiker found a dead mature doe in the ravine between Chinquapin and Social Sciences II. Professor Diane Gifford- Gonzalez examined the deer and determined that it had been killed by a mountain lion.

5/20/97 11:10 AM A driver reported seeing a mountain lion "running very fast" in the Hagar Meadow near the East Remote lot.

3/15/97 1:00 AM A student reported that while sitting quietly on a bench on the Stevenson Knoll, a mountain lion walked behind where she was sitting. It was heading east towards the Pogonip. The lion "moved away faster as soon as it realized [the student] was there."

12/9/96 7:20 AM A campus police employee saw a mature lion in the Porter Meadow loping up the ravine towards the Kresge garden.

12/4/96 8:10 AM A bicyclist on the bike path, north of the Lower Quarry, saw a large lion cross the path about 50 meters in front of her.

9/18/96 10:30 AM The reporting party saw two lion kittens playing in the grass on Heller at Koshland Dr.

9/18/96 10:00 AM The reporting party sighted a mountain lion on Hagar Drive near the east Remote parking lot.

8/15/96 12:15 PM A person driving north on Empire Grade reported seeing a mountain lion crossing the road near the Arboretum.

4/4/96 N/A An off duty police officer was biking on Chinquapin Road and spotted a small lion sitting near the water tanks.

4/28/96 N/A A person jogging on Red Hill Trail saw a small or juvenile lion walking across the trail into the woods.

1/28/96 12:30 PM In the meadow west of Hagar Drive just North of the Lower Quarry: A jogger jogged up behind a mature animal, when the lion noticed him it quickly disappeared into a ravine.

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