This is correct. Often nobody will know what hit them. A chest rig is still adviseable. There are still several instances where the victim knew they were being stalked for quite some time. Yelling, throwing rocks, swinging a stick is not always effective. What has always impressed me, is how weak humans are physically compared to even small animals if they are determined. Ever see what a goose can do? Even smaller birds.
I was dive bombed repeatedly by a certain species of bird when hiking out of a desert area in Utah for about a mile. I don’t think I was in particular danger, but it wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t leave me alone.
My favorite bit of “journalism”, you mentioned the mountain lion attacks on joggers in California. I remember reading one article that included the phrase “Authorities are still searching for a motive.”
As far as I can tell, they simply took the superstitions from the American Indian. I married a member of the Seminole Nation. Forgot what clan is hers but her family is very superstitious.
Back to the article you read, some pantheistic bureaucrat probably wants to talk to the lion before they draw any conclusions.
Also, it was interesting that when such events occurred, a referendum would come up to take the puma (mountain lion) off the protected species list. Rural kalifornians voted yes, typically. But the referendum was always voted down by people in LA, San fran, Sac.