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Alpine County seeks clarity and calm after series of mountain-lion dog attacks
Summary
California Fish and Wildlife and local officials told the board there have been nine mountain-lion reports in 2026 (16 since 2017 in county reporting), confirmed two dog kills were by the same animal, and residents asked for weekly official updates to stem rumors and reduce community anxiety.
State and local wildlife officials and residents told the Alpine County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that a recent run of mountain-lion reports has raised public concern but, based on official records, the situation is not equivalent to depredation epidemics seen in larger counties.
Morgan Kilgore, regional manager for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) North Central Region, said CDFW's incident database shows 91 wildlife incident reports for Alpine County since 2017; of those, 16 concerned mountain lions and nine were filed in 2026. Kilgore said DNA from the two dogs killed in recent incidents confirms the same animal was responsible for both attacks.
"We do have confirmation that it is the same animal," Kilgore said, citing wildlife-forensics results.
Kilgore reviewed department policy on depredation permits and said officers evaluate whether affected owners used reasonable protective measures (secure enclosures, hazing, deterrents) before issuing lethal or nonlethal permits. She said lethal permits are issued only when protections are insufficient and when code-authorized criteria are met.
Several residents urged the county and CDFW to publish regular, accurate updates to counter social-media rumor. Brenda, a resident who collected constituent concerns, told the board that exaggerated accounts circulating online had amplified anxiety and grief in the community and asked for a weekly factual update by the person tracking the animal.
Local trapper John Chandler, who has been working the issue, described the animal as a roughly 120-pound male and said field cameras show multiple species (bears, bobcats, coyotes) in the area, complicating trapping and monitoring. Chandler said there are likely two other lions in the county'one a female track near Markleyville and another larger animal in the area'but that the dog-killing incidents appear linked to the single male.
Public-safety officials asked residents to report sightings promptly to the sheriff's office and to CDFW's wildlife conflict hotline to improve response accuracy. Alpine County Sheriff Taylor Greene reiterated local leash and control rules, noting the county ordinance allows dogs off leash only if under voice command and recall; other lands such as Grover Hot Springs State Park impose state-leash rules.
Wildlife and community speakers emphasized preventive measures: keep pets indoors at night, leash dogs during dawn and dusk, secure food and trash and avoid letting pets roam free. Wildlife specialists said mountain lions are opportunistic predators and will take unprotected pets; CDFW referenced studies showing a substantial share of depredation-permit mountain lions had eaten domestic animals.
The board asked county staff to coordinate clearer public messaging, with a suggested citizens-led sightings page or a weekly bulletin modeled on a neighboring-county site, and emphasized the value of official incident reporting to CDFW rather than informal social-media posts. No change to state policy or additional local restrictions was adopted at the meeting.
