A neighbor three doors down lost two pygmy goats (kept in a stall at night) to a mountain lion last night. That’s a little too close for comfort (we’ve had other mountain lion attacks on this same street but further away). I’m worried about my minis (and my big horses, as well, although they seem more able to take care of themselves). My horses all come in to a shedrow barn at night, with paddocks. The paddocks open to a two-acre field where the horses go in the daytime. Behind the field is a large creek area and national forest land. This is where the mountain lions (and occasional bears) come from. Lots of deer, bobcats, coyotes etc. in there.
Since this recent attack happened just last night, I’m concerned the mtn. lion might be hanging around. All I can think of to do to protect the horses is to leave the barn lights on all night (which also turns on the lights leading down to the barn from the house). Shutting the horses into their stalls (closing off their runs) won’t help because the lion jumped over the top of a stall door to get to the goats) so even if I shut the back of the stall, I can’t do anything about the front of the stalls, which have doors with yokes on them.
At a certain point, one can only do so much. Do you think the lights are of any help? I feel badly for the horses losing their nice, dark stalls but I just turned on the lights the aisle, not the stalls.
Any other ideas? Fish and Game is going to try and hunt the mountain lion but that could take time.
