Lassen County Sheriff John McGarva issued a statement on May 13 declaring mountain lions an "imminent threat" to Lassen County, following a surge in sightings that have alarmed residents. Reports include a mountain lion haunting the deck of a private home and another walking toward a man with his dogs in broad daylight.
The declaration quickly spread across California media and social media, sparking debate about the severity of the risk.
Plumas County Sheriff Chad Hermann echoed the concern, stating that mountain lions have become a more pronounced threat in his county as well. He noted a mountain lion sat between two houses in broad daylight, watching children play.
"When we're having mountain lions in residential areas in the daytime, it's becoming more and more problematic," Hermann said. He added that mountain lion-related calls burden his small, understaffed force, but officers respond because the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) may not send someone in person.
Peter Tira, information officer at CDFW, explained that the agency responds to all mountain lion reports, but not all require in-person action due to modern digital technology like cameras that provide photo and video evidence. Tira also highlighted increased training in human-wildlife conflict over the past decade.
According to CDFW, there were 425 mountain lion depredation incident reports statewide in 2025, with 13 from Plumas County. In 2026, 257 reports have been logged statewide, with 10 in Plumas County, marking an uptick from the past five years.
Depredation refers to mountain lions killing or injuring livestock or pets. Tira noted that reports are not necessarily confirmed and duplicates are possible.
Despite the numbers, CDFW spokesperson Stephen Gonzalez denied any danger to public safety in Plumas. "There have been no confirmed depredations of pets or livestock this year, no confrontations with people and no incidents warranting intervention," he said.
He attributed the sightings to a large resident deer population, a primary food source for mountain lions, and stressed the county is not an area with an imminent threat.
Byron Weckworth, chief conservation officer of the Mountain Lion Foundation, said one of the biggest myths is that seeing a mountain lion automatically means an imminent threat. "Mountain lions are powerful predators and people should take sightings seriously," he said, but fear should not replace facts.
Attacks on humans remain extremely rare in California, and most mountain lions avoid people when possible. He noted the North State has some of California's best mountain lion habitat, increasing the likelihood of encounters.
Lori Simpson, a former Plumas County supervisor who has lived in Quincy for 50 years, said she saw a mountain lion in her front yard this spring while taking her senior dog out around midnight. The predator darted across Main Street when spotted.
She had previously suspected a mountain lion was nearby after noticing scat and a flash of an animal that was not a deer. "There's always been mountain lions in the Quincy area," she said.
"Most people in Quincy wouldn't think of them as a threat."
Killing a mountain lion in California is illegal in most circumstances under California Fish & Game Code 4800, which has banned hunting since 1990. Violations are a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail or a $10,000 fine.
Exceptions exist only for immediate self-defense or defending others from an attack. Weckworth explained that California voters protected mountain lions as a native apex predator with important ecological value.
"The law still allows intervention in specific public safety or depredation situations, but California's overall approach prioritizes conservation and nonlethal management whenever possible," he said. To reduce encounters, experts recommend removing thick vegetation near homes, installing outdoor lighting, and securing livestock and pets in covered shelters at night.