Goats mauled to death in possible mountain lion attacks
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Three goats were possibly mauled to death by mountain lions in two separate attacks.
The latest attack occurred Sunday morning on Rambling Road, near the intersection of First Street and Fitzgerald Road, at Birgitta Glad’s home.
She explained to FOX 11's Leah Uko the mountain lion jumped over the fence and into the pasture to reach her goats.
Glad said usually if an animal came onto her property she would hear her goats, Bonney and Clyde, make noises or her neighbor’s dogs would bark.
This time, she didn’t hear anything.
She woke up in the morning and found Bonney’s body lying in the bin.
“It’s unsettling really not think that wild animals come this close on your property. That is a little scary I must admit.”
Just two houses down, a family found two of its goats mauled the same way Friday morning.
In the past two weeks, two separate mountain lions have been spotted including a 100-pound cat in someone’s backyard near Erringer Road and Alamo Street.
RELATED: Simi Valley family wakes to find mountain lion in their backyard
National Park Services told FOX 11 these sightings and incidents are common in that particular area.
For Birgitta, the mauling was all, but common in her 23 years living on Rambling Road.
It was heartbreaking because now her other goat Clyde was alone.
“Really nothing I can do because I’m not willing to shoot an animal, but I certainly hope that local authorities will try to trap them and take them to areas where there is other than our pets for food for them,” she continued.
“I understand they need to eat too, but I don’t want to sacrifice my own animals for that.”
Fish and Wildlife said in both Simi Valley cases, the owners of the goats had not requested a depredation permit, which would trigger the process of trapping and taking the animal.
The agency said it appeared their contact was to inform them of the incidents.
Staff further explained that more than half of California is Mountain Lion habitat and sightings and contact with animals were not unusual.
Residents are asked to do their best at getting pets and pet food inside at night.
Small animals, like rats and raccoons, are likely to show up in backyards and mountain lions might follow.