Portola Valley: Mountain lion attacks pygmy goat

How is the goat doing?

Do mountian lions have long tails? Could it have been a coyote it seems to me that a mountian lion would kill a goat quickly?

Coyotes look more like dogs; mountain lions look more like cats. Both has long tails, although the cougar's tail is longer, but that's where the resemblance ends.

what'd you expect,
for the lion to offer
the goat some love?

Hope goat is OK!

One fool has been talking up how we need to carry guns. I'm proud that we Portolans can take on a cougars with a flashlight. We don't need any cowards with guns to tell us what to do.

There is nothing new about the lions. I've not had the honor of seeing one yet but have seen many bobcats, foxes and so forth. For thirty years, lions have been sited by friends who hike and ride the trails.

They are sited most often in crepuscular hours and are shy by nature. They need to eat too, so keep small animals: cats, dogs, goats etc. inside from dusk to dawn and well fenced.

The lions' natural food is deer, rabbit and small animals. We have way too many deer; so thank heaven for lions.

Sorry about your goat.

If you choose to live in Portola Valley, you shouldn't be surprised that a native Mtn. Lion would choose to hunt easy prey like a freak pygmy goat. You can't put something like that out in the wild and not expect a mountain lion or any other predator to do anything other than go for its throat. Let's not all act surprised or upset--the only person to blame is the goat owner for leaving that thing outside.

rob: you're confused - comments here are empathetic for a neighbor and their pet, not "upset" or "surprised."