Thankfully the front doors of Hotel Terra in Teton Village are not of the motion detection sliding variety or this mountain lion who made a late night appearance on Monday, December 23rd might have walked right up to the front desk.
The Jackson Hole slopeside luxury hotel has animal sculptures just outside the entrance which the big cat seemed confused by after close examination. The misidentified Christmas decor might have a few claw marks on it but it survived the encounter.
Wyoming Game & Fish Department Mountain Lion Safety Guidelines:
- Reduce your risk by not recreating alone: Groups of people make plenty of noise, reducing the chance of surprising a mountain lion.
- Never approach a mountain lion: All wild animals are unpredictable. Most mountain lions try to avoid confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
- Stay calm: If you encounter a lion, talk in a calm and firm manner. Move away slowly. Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms. Don’t run. Sudden movement may stimulate a lion’s instinct to attack.
- Keep a close eye on children playing outdoors: Try to have children inside between dusk and dawn. The buddy system works well.
- Don’t feed wildlife: This is one of the key components to reducing the risk of mountain lions. Feeding wildlife may attract animals like mountain lions to your residence.
- Bring pets inside at night: Roaming pets are an easy food source for mountain lions. If you leave your pet outside, keep it in a kennel with a secure top. Do not feed pets outside. This can attract mountain lions and their prey.
- Keep the perimeter of your house well-lit at night: Keeping the perimeter well-lit, especially along long walkways, can make lions visible and discourage activity.
- Be aware of areas with thick cover: During the day, mountain lions try to find cool, quiet spaces to bed down. Be aware of these areas.
- Be aware of your surroundings: It is critical to immediately report sightings of mountain lions to your local Game and Fish personnel.