KINGMAN, Ariz. -- The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Wildlife Services have called off the search for a mountain lion suspected to be responsible for an attack on a Prescott man Sunday night.
On Monday morning Game and Fish received the call regarding an alleged lion attack and a wildlife manager was dispatched to the scene. After speaking to the victim and finding partial tracks, Wildlife Services attempted to track the mountain lion to no avail.
"There were a lot of dog and vehicle tracks around the area and the landscape itself made it difficult to investigate," said Zen Mocarski, public information officer for the Game and Fish Kingman office. "The entire perimeter of the residence was investigated and tracking dogs were unable to pick up a scent and the search was called off."
Bob Posey, regional supervisor in Kingman, said, based on the department's wildlife conflict policy, if the lion had been found it would have been killed because of the animal's immediate threat to public safety.
The wildlife-human conflict policy, developed with extensive public input, provides guidance for the department when responding to reports of wildlife threatening or harming people or causing property damage.
"There is no gray area following an attack on a human," Posey said. "You just don't take chances with a mountain lion that's suspected in an attack on a human. Our protocol is clear."
The suspected attack occurred near the Snow Drift Mine area in Walker when Andy Bell, 30, was outside just after dark. After hearing some rustling in the bushes, his flashlight revealed what he believed to be a mountain lion within eight feet, at which point Bell ran for his home. According to Bell, he was hit from behind near his truck and believes the cat hit its head on the back of the truck. Bell rolled under the truck and when he looked out, the mountain lion had fled.
Bell, who was at the doctor's office on Tuesday, suffered several injuries caused by the fall. However, he also had a two inch scratch on his shoulder he said was result of one of the lion's claws.
"There's no doubt this was a lion," Bell said. "I understand you have to say suspected because it wasn't caught, but there is no doubt."
Although injured, Bell isn't brooding.
"I'm exhausted and in a lot of pain right now, but I thank God I'm alive," he stated. "This was the most terrifying moment of my life. I was just trying to get away as fast as I could."
Bell said he knew he shouldn't run, but that he was so close to his house his only thought was getting away.
"I was running as fast as I could downhill. It all happened so fast. I'm convinced it was the trailer hitch that saved my life," he said of the lion hitting its head and scampering off.
Following the site visit by a Game and Fish wildlife manager, Wildlife Services was asked to search for, and lethally remove the mountain lion. On Tuesday morning, with no fresh tracks, and the dogs unable to pick up a scent, the search was called off.
Posey said it is critical the public maintain a watchful eye and contact the department if a mountain lion is seen in the area. Mountain lions, which are common in Arizona, will generally weigh between 70-150 pounds with a tan or reddish-brown coat and a long tail with a black tip.
"Public safety is an issue we do not take lightly," Posey said. "If this lion remains in the area, we need to know about it."
Mocarski added that the public needs to halt any feeding of deer and javelina.
"It's the food chain," Mocarski said. "When people feed deer and javelina, predatory animals can follow. Deer are the favorite food of the mountain lion. If there is an easy food source, there's little reason for a resident mountain lion to move out."
Posey reminds the public that mountain lion attacks on humans are rare and that running from the scene may have been a trigger to this suspected incident.
"Don't run," he explained. "Running triggers the predatory instinct. Think of a deer. If a deer sees a lion, it will run. It is acting like a prey species. Humans need to let a lion know they are not prey."
In the event of an encounter, Posey said: "don't run. Stand tall, make a lot of noise, throw things if something can be reached without bending down, and, if all else fails, fight back with anything at your disposal."
To learn more about mountain lions and other predatory animals and what you can do to prevent an encounter, visit the Arizona Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife.
To report a lion sighting, contact the Game and Fish office in Kingman at (928) 692-7700 during office hours and (800) 352-0700 after hours.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD's programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director's Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director's Office as listed above.
