Ukiah Unified School District

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Mountain Lion Activity

Mountain Lion Activity

On Monday morning, October 22, 2018, staff at Frank Zeek Elementary found a deceased deer on the West side of the school between the garden and the cemetery. After contacting and working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, it was determined that the deer was killed by a predator, most likely a mountain lion.

All students and staff at Ukiah High School and Frank Zeek Elementary are safe, and Ukiah Unified School District staff are actively working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to do everything we can to make sure our students and staff remain safe.

What’s being done:

  • We are currently reviewing security camera footage over the last several days, as of now we have not seen any evidence of the cat actually on school grounds.
  • Early-morning sweeps will be conducted by staff to make sure that the area is clear and safe for the school-day. This will be repeated throughout the day.
  • Cameras are monitoring UHS and Frank Zeek as well as the area bordering the cemetery.
  • Lights have been checked across UHS and Frank Zeek Elementary to make sure everything is well-lit. More lights are scheduled to be installed this week at Frank Zeek.
  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials will visit later this week to determine if a trapping permit will need to be issued.

According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife information, mountain lions normally prey upon large animals such as deer. This area of Ukiah is established mountain lion territory with confirmed activity in the past. There is a population of deer that live in and around the cemetery, and we believe a mountain lion came out of the hills to hunt these deer.

For more information about mountain lions and for tips on how to live safely in mountain lion territory, please visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife page here: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/keep-me-wild/lion. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. If you have any questions, please contact your school site administration.