There’s a Facebook Group named “santa cruz mountains lion & bobcat” where mountain residents post their trail cam videos. It is really incredible how many big cats are on the prowl every night in the Santa Cruz Mountains (southern San Fran Bay Area between the Bay and Santa Cruz). My wife spotted one hiking solo a year ago in the SC Mountains and really didn’t think much of it. I’ll have to ask her if she’s changed her mind. One was spotted on Tubbs Hill in downtown Coeur d’Alene about a month ago and people really got freaked out. The population here seems to be nothing compared to the California central coast.
You imply that the Coeur d’Alene folks are the worse for “freaking out” about only one mountain lion near town. (Compared to the “calm” attiude of people near the far greater number of big cats down around SFO.)
I think it's actually the opposite: The people in ID and AZ and NM and PA and TX know and respect the wilderness and its predators! They properly fear the cougar BECAUSE they recognize its danger to them, their pets, their animals and children. the idiots in SFO and San Diego and LA “think” the mountain is just a friendly cat in the pristine wilderness and that they can go hiking to seek “inner peace counseling” and tranquility. It is the people in CA and beatniks in CO who fire warning shots so as not to hurt the poor thing.