Mountain lion spooked by screaming children runs up 35-foot-high power pole

Mountain lions roam across the high desert of Southern California, but it's not every day that one is spotted atop a 35-foot-high utility pole.

Lucerne Valley resident Jose Ruiz told the Victor Valley Daily Press that on Tuesday afternoon, a mountain lion was startled by screeching children coming home on a school bus, and booked it up the pole. Several birds then flew up and started cawing at the cougar, which Ruiz found humorous. "It was like one crow was saying, 'Hey, you're not a crow,' to the mountain lion," he said. The mountain lion, which appeared to be a healthy adult, climbed down at some point overnight, and hasn't been seen since.

Experts say that while mountain lion attacks are rare, small children and pets need to be supervised in areas where cougars have been spotted.

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