1. If you spot one and it's far enough away, and not paying attention to you, the risk is minimal. But make sure to stay in a group if one is available. Keep an eye on small children and pets and avoid attracting its attention.

2. If it is close enough to be looking at you with ears up, pick up any small animals or children into your arms. Scan the area for weapons you could use like sticks or rocks. Do not stare directly into its eyes, and do not turn your back on it.

3. If it is less than 50 years away and staring intensely, or,even worse, crouched and providing a low profile, put any small animals or children behind you and raise your arms over your head to appear larger. if you have a jacket, spread it up over your head so that your mass appears to increase. DO NOT RUN, but back away slowly. Prepare to defend yourself, if it's crouched like that, attack is imminent.

4. If it begins to creep or crouch or move towards you, bare your teeth. Stare directly at it. Make gutteral threatening noises. Pick up anything that can be used as a weapon and brace yourself. Focus on staying on your feet, the lion will try to go for your head and neck.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON FLEEING VS. FREEZING:

Not everyone agrees on the best course to follow in this situation.Richard Coss, a psychology professor and expert on the evolution of predator–prey relationships at the University of California, Davis, studied the behavior of 185 people who were attacked by mountain lions. He found that half of the 18 people who ran when they were attacked escaped injury. The study also found, however, that those who ran had a slightly higher chance of being killed in an attack -- 5 of those who fled died as a result of injuries, compared with the 8 who remained motionless.

28 people - those who moved away slowly when approached by a mountain lion - escaped without injury.

On the other hand, people who froze were the least likely to escape injury when a mountain lion attacked. Only 26 percent of them escaped. They also had the greatest frequency of severe injuries: 43 percent of those who stood still in the face of a lion were badly injured compared with 17 percent of those who fled, according to the study.