Bears, coyotes and mountain lions on the march in SLO County

Q: What do bears, coyotes and mountain lions have in common?
A: They're wild, they're all around us, and coming to a town near you.
Our story today about a morning sighting of a mama bear and her cub in Atascadero reminded me of the wildlife we have living here with us in SLO County. We broke news of the bear sighting on sanluisobispo.com yesterday morning and it was one of our best-read stories on the site on Tuesday.
This probably won't be the only such sighting this year. We have quoted wildlife experts in previous coverage about how wild animals become emboldened to stray into populated areas whenever droughts occur in order to find water and, perhaps, a quick meal, like a house cat.
So experts say to take care of your pets -- ie, don't leave food for them outside. That just attracts the wild critters.
We are planning a story in coming weeks about the drought and its looming impact on wildlife, so look for it in The Tribune and sanluisobispo.com.
If you have a wildlife story to share, post a comment here. And should any of you snap any photos of bears, coyotes or mountain lions in your yards, let us know!
_ Tad Weber