EL DORADO COUNTY—

El Dorado County is mountain lion country, but four sightings within the last three weeks?

“We’re in their neighborhood. This is where they live. This is their commonplace, where they’ve been for thousands of years. So they have the right to be here,” said Sgt. Phil Chovanec with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department.

El Dorado County’s agricultural department put out the warning to locals of the recent sightings along a trail on Jacquier Road.

“We do have a lot of deer out here. We have several bucks that go through the property every night,” said resident John Havincon.

Havicon’s property is right next to Jacquier Road. Just about a month ago, not too far from where his friend’s live-

“Up on Hassler Road, they’ve had a mountain lion up there causing problems … Farmer ended up having to shoot it,” Havicon said.

Several years back, Lt. Tim Becker came face to face with the big cats a couple of times, one time in pleasant valley.

“In a populated area. Wouldn’t leave the area … We shot it and brought it back to Fish and Game,” Becker said.

Another time, while they were out in heavy bushes, busting pot growers-

“It was a mountain lion, but as soon as it saw it, it took off running,” Becker said.

Deputies remind residents of basics to keep mountain lions away.