Orange County, California is a beautiful place but it’s also very busy. There are millions of people here (3.1 million in fact) and it’s easy to get lost in the rat race in the shadow of Mickey Mouse. Sure, Orange County (few who live here call it the OC) has beautiful beaches, Disneyland and trendy malls people actually still shop at, but it also had traffic, crime and all the other ills of modern society. Beyond the strip malls, power centers and megachurches, nestled in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, lies the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, a 2,500 acre respite from modernity.
Whiting Ranch is a maze of canyons, gullies, ravines and trails. It’s beautiful and somewhat popular with hikers and the zippy adrenaline junkie mountain bike community. It was mountain biking that brought 30 year old Anne Hjelle to the park’s twisted rock-strewn trails on an October afternoon in 2004. She loved the rush of avoiding hazards while bombing down the rugged slopes. Along with her friend Debi, she wanted to get in a quick 45 minute ride after a grocery shopping trip. Coming down the hill, Anne spotted a seemingly abandoned bike. She thought nothing of it, although it was a bit odd. She maintained her speed.
The apex predator of Whiting Ranch was apparently just finishing off 35 year old Mark Reynolds, a competitive cyclist, when Anne approached. Having likely attacked Reynolds from the rear, the lack of defensive wounds suggested total surprise. The two year old mountain lion was built for the type of swift attack that could catch a person completely off guard. The waist high chaparral of the area made for good concealment. Humans are not usually a lions first choice, but for whatever reason, likely something to do with hunger brought on by human encroachment, this particular cat was ready to throw caution to the wind.
Anne didn’t know what hit her. One moment she was speeding down the slope amidst the cacti, the next she was on the ground. She saw only a brief movement before being hit by what felt like a truck. Now she had 110 pounds of feline on her back and he was ripping into her. The claws dug deep, doing untold damage to her flesh. Anne was no pushover, she was a Marine (you never stop being a Marine) and a personal trainer. Despite this athletic pedigree, the battle was almost completely one sided. Anne punched the cat in the head, to no effect. Pumas (mountain lions, also known as cougars) immobilize their prey by clamping down on the neck, causing paralysis. Fortunately for Anne, when the cat attempted this, her helmet interfered. Now rolled on her back, the ferocious feline ripped into her cheek which peeled off like flank steak. Just then, her riding partner Debi came upon this deadly scene and leaped into action, trying to pull Anne away from the cat. Debi was losing though and quickly getting pulled into the nearby ravine. If that happened, it might be lights out for both of them. Anne was in no position to protect Debi if the animal turned on her. At just that moment, a group of hikers arrived. They began throwing stones at the cougar, until one hit square in the head and the animal gave up it’s prey. Anne was rushed to the hospital, where the surgeon said her injuries were the worst that he had ever seen. Anne had survived, while Mark was not so lucky, having been partially buried and eaten by the beast. Needless to say, he did not make it.
“The autopsy concluded that he died from the removal of organs in the chest and abdomen,” said [Orange County Sherriff’s Official] Amormino in the San Francisco Gate. “It seems he was partially eaten.”
Mountain lions live throughout the hills and mountains of California, although they are increasingly being impacted by the encroachment of humans. As more and more land is developed, the lions are pushed out of their native habitat. This brings them into more potential conflict with people using those formerly wild spaces. Even Whiting Ranch used to be far less populated than it is today. Development started in earnest in the area in 1956; prior to that it was sparsely inhabited farmland. The killer lion (who was only doing what mountain lions do occasionally) was tracked down by sheriff’s deputies and shot. At the time, he was stalking them. Quite literally, the cat was out for blood.
The odds of any given hiker or biker being attacked by a cougar is less than the odds of being struck by lighting. Since 1868, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation, there have been 29 cases of fatal attacks in North America. That said, it may be a good idea to keep these tips from the California Department of Fish and Game in mind if hiking in the wilderness where the cats are present:
- When recreating outside, avoid hiking, biking, or jogging alone. Do not hike, bike, or jog at dawn, dusk, or at night.
- Deer-proof your property to avoid attracting a lion’s main food source.
- Remove dense vegetation from around the home to reduce hiding spaces.
- Install outdoor lighting to make it difficult for mountain lions to approach unseen.
- Secure livestock and outdoor large pets in sturdy, covered shelters at night.
- Always remember — Mountain lions are wild animals and their behavior may be unpredictable (like any wildlife).
And if you are confronted by a lion:
- Never approach a mountain lion. Give them an escape route.
- DO NOT RUN. Stay calm. Do not turn your back.
- Face the animal, make loud noise and try to look bigger. If with small children, put them on your shoulders.
- Do not crouch down or bend over.
These animals are stealth hunters. Whiting Ranch has sometimes chest high coastal sage scrub and undergrowth. It comes up to the shoulder and sometimes higher. The odds are slim, but as a given hiker strolls past, there could be a cat stalking them, totally out of sight in the undergrowth. The beast is built for this hunt. It would likely prefer deer, but will sometimes settle for a homo saipan. It will wait, until the time is right, and if it strikes, the victim may never know what hit them.
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Sources:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/mountain-lion-attacks-kill-1-injure-1-orange-2814215.php