Mill Valley police are warning residents to be cautious following recent mountain lion sightings, like this one on Sarah Drive: https://t.co/zF8XEc8RlU — Adrian Rodriguez (@adrianrrodri) October 2, 2019

Mill Valley police are warning residents to be cautious following recent mountain lion sightings in the city.

Several sightings were reported in the last week in the areas of Warner Canyon, Glen Drive and Sarah Drive, police said. Marin Humane confirmed the Mill Valley sighting through video home surveillance on Sarah Drive.

Mountain lions are often misidentified by the public and they sometimes turn out to be bobcats and/or domestic cats, said Cindy Machado, director of animal services for Marin Humane.

“Mountain lions do live in Marin and they are generally not easily seen by the public and Marin provides perfect habitat for them,” she said. “Through the use of home surveillance cameras by many homeowners, we have been able to confirm a handful of mountain lions.”

Another confirmed report of a mountain lion via video surveillance came in Lucas Valley in August, Machado said.

Just another feisty Marin Cougar prancing down my street at 2am pic.twitter.com/rixiESzgIV — Du Nguyen (@DuVNguyen) August 19, 2019

There have been 11 unconfirmed reports of mountain lion sightings in 2019 across the county, Machado said. In 2018, there were nine.

Mountain lions are a vital apex predator — a hunter at the top of a food chain. They help control deer populations, as well as raccoons and rodents, according to Marin Humane.

Attacks on humans are rare. In California, there have been 15 confirmed mountain lion attacks, including three fatalities, since 1986, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. There have been no confirmed mountain lion attacks in Marin.

Machado said residents should report sightings to Marin Humane.

“Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night and early dawn hours,” she said. “When hiking make your presence known and if you have a mountain lion encounter be big, loud, stand your ground and never run away.”

Marin Humane officials encourage residents to learn how to coexist with mountain lions. More information is available at bit.ly/2ox8a9a. or mountainlion.org.

Residents can report sightings to Mill Valley police at 415-389-4100 or to Marin Humane at 415-883-4621.