Sunnyvale and Baylands Park are close enough to Mountain View for me to post this email sent to Yahoo! employees in Sunnyvale this week. You don't need to stop going to parks along the bay; however, you should know to take extra precautions and be alert.

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Subject: Mountain Lion Sighting: Be Cautious on Trails Surrounding the Sunnyvale Campus

Yahoos,

Please use caution when using the trails surrounding the Sunnyvale campus. This past Saturday, several trail users reported seeing a mountain lion within 100 yards of our campus, just north of Twin Creeks Field #4 near the trail of Baylands Park.

If you plan to use the trails:

Mountain lions are quiet, solitary and elusive, and typically avoid people -- attacks on humans are extremely rare. However, conflicts are increasing as California ’s human population expands into mountain lion habitat.

Here are a few tips to follow:

-Do not hike, bike or jog alone.

-Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.

-Keep a close watch on small children.

-Do not approach a mountain lion.

-If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects. Pick up small children.

-If attacked, fight back.

-If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

For more information about mountain lions, visit the California Department of Fish and Game: Web Link.