+Dave_W6DPS Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) It happened in the Santa Ana Mountains, SW of Lake Elsinore... News article. If my understanding of the location of the incident is accurate, it appears to have been on the same trail as this cache. Please keep aware of your surroundings in the Santa Ana mountains, and always use the "Buddy System"!!! I love dogs--but thank God no humans were injured or killed--this time... Dave_W6DPS Edited May 7, 2009 by Dave_W6DPS Quote Link to comment
+Coyote Raven Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Some new info has surfaced regarding this "attack": http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/...ntain-lion.html Hoagie vs. mountain lion: Conflicting reports, but one brave dog 2:42 PM, May 6, 2009 A Southern California dog named Hoagie was initially called a hero after he scuffled with a mountain lion in an Orange County campground Tuesday. But today authorities are questioning whether Hoagie was the hero or the aggressor in the incident, which left him injured. The black Labrador retriever mix, whose owners once rescued him from euthanasia at an animal shelter, was hiking with his human family in the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore when the fight broke out. Initial reports suggested that Hoagie intervened when the mountain lion attacked his owners, the Morse family of Wildomar. "There's no question the dog saved his life," Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino told our colleague Sam Quinones shortly after the story broke. But today, wildlife officials are disagreeing and counter that they suspect Hoagie may have started the fight. From our sister blog, L.A. Now: "The report we got was that the dog went up to a mountain lion and the mountain lion ran away and the dog chased it and was mauled," said Harry Morse, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. "We went out there and didn’t find any evidence of a mountain lion. They didn't find any tracks or hair. That's not to say it wasn’t there." Morse said the mountain lion is not being viewed as a threat to public safety and is not being sought by wardens. In cases where an animal is deemed a threat, it is hunted down and killed. "As far as we can tell, the dog went after the lion, and the lion turned around and attacked the dog," wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan of the Department of Fish and Game told L.A. Now. Falcon Campground, the site of the attack, and nearby Blue Jay Campground will both be closed until Friday to allow for mountain lion warning signs to be posted. For his part, Hoagie was rushed to the Clinton Keith Veterinary Hospital and required four hours of surgery. He's since been released to his owners' care. And whether he acted preemptively or in defense of his owners, we certainly have to give him credit for bravery! -- Lindsay Barnett Quote Link to comment
+Dave_W6DPS Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Some new info has surfaced regarding this "attack": http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/...ntain-lion.html ...But today, wildlife officials are disagreeing and counter that they suspect Hoagie may have started the fight... Definately a differing version of events. I think my main point is still valid, however--keep aware of the wildlife around you. Two adult humans and a dog were still very close to a big predator! "The report we got was that the dog went up to a mountain lion and the mountain lion ran away and the dog chased it and was mauled," said Harry Morse, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. "We went out there and didn’t find any evidence of a mountain lion. They didn't find any tracks or hair. That's not to say it wasn’t there." As Mr Morse says, absence of proof is not proof of absence. During dry conditions you don't see many animal tracks. Dave Quote Link to comment
+Dave_W6DPS Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) Some new info has surfaced regarding this "attack": http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/...ntain-lion.html ...But today, wildlife officials are disagreeing and counter that they suspect Hoagie may have started the fight... By the way, thanks for the additional info! Dave Edited May 7, 2009 by Dave_W6DPS Quote Link to comment
+slmslo Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Some new info has surfaced regarding this "attack": http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/...ntain-lion.html ...But today, wildlife officials are disagreeing and counter that they suspect Hoagie may have started the fight... By the way, thanks for the additional info! Dave It's sad that these things happen - for ALL parties. I love dogs and my heart goes out to him, whether or not he was the aggressor, he was just being a dog. And the people who own the dog are probably hurting enough that they want to see that mountain lion dispatched (i.e. shot and killed). I love the widlife, too. I especially feel sorry for the mountain lion and his kind, because this incident fuels anger and hatred towards mountain lions in general. I am apt to believe that the mountain lion ran away because that is normal behavior. But if this was a female with cubs, then she might have been protecting her young, which is a maternal instinct. But the lesson from this is to not only be aware, but take precautions: being that it is spring time and the heart of baby season, probably would be wise to keep dogs on leashes. If this particular dog had been leashed, the lion might have just run off, the owners would have yanked the dog back and all would be well. So not only be aware, but take precautions. Quote Link to comment
+The Fat Cats Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Some new info has surfaced regarding this "attack": http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/...ntain-lion.html ...But today, wildlife officials are disagreeing and counter that they suspect Hoagie may have started the fight... By the way, thanks for the additional info! Dave It's sad that these things happen - for ALL parties. I love dogs and my heart goes out to him, whether or not he was the aggressor, he was just being a dog. And the people who own the dog are probably hurting enough that they want to see that mountain lion dispatched (i.e. shot and killed). I love the widlife, too. I especially feel sorry for the mountain lion and his kind, because this incident fuels anger and hatred towards mountain lions in general. I am apt to believe that the mountain lion ran away because that is normal behavior. But if this was a female with cubs, then she might have been protecting her young, which is a maternal instinct. But the lesson from this is to not only be aware, but take precautions: being that it is spring time and the heart of baby season, probably would be wise to keep dogs on leashes. If this particular dog had been leashed, the lion might have just run off, the owners would have yanked the dog back and all would be well. So not only be aware, but take precautions. My favorite wild animal is the mountain lion. I would love to see one in the wild...what a privilege that would be! And I really enjoy letting my dog run off leash, but there's always a flip side, and now I see that I may be doing her more harm than good. She's had her rattlesnake vaccines and avoidance training, but that wouldn't help much if she decided to run after a mountain lion, now would it... Definitely food for thought. Thanks for sharing this insight. Quote Link to comment
+Snake & Rooster Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Thanks Dave. I was just up on South Divide cleaning up the new caches, by myself as usual. I have previously spotted a mountain lion there--about a year ago, so they are definitely up there, both on North and South Divide. I'm guessing that Hoaggie is eating steak now. Quote Link to comment
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