A dog owner's close encounter with a mountain lion has sparked warnings at Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose.
Park officials said a mountain lion on early Monday morning repeatedly went after a 50-pound leashed dog on the Mine Hill Trail.
"That's where we've been seeing them is where people are, which is interesting," resident Kari Emerson said.
The dog and its owner got away safely, but park officials said they reported the incident to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Regular trail users are now being cautious.
"As long as you come when there's lots of people I feel safe," trail user Lauri Vroom said.
Vroom said she recently made a lot of noise to encourage a mountain lion to run off.
Local
"I blew my whistle for 30 minutes. We were pretty far in. He did what a mountain lion should do," Vroom said. "We called the ranger, he saw us and went up into the mountains."
Park officials said trails are more safe when used after sunrise and before sunset. Officials add that anyone who encounters a mountain lion should make themselves look big and make a lot of noise.
