Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

As I'm really just a longterm visitor to this, your fair city, it gave me some real reassurance to know that I received the same hysterical email about the mountain lion in Silverlake as did Franklin Avenue (which has it in full) and Blogging.la (where Will, who once worked at the zoo, parses the mountain lion/cougar/bobcat thing).

So the streets of Silverlake, post-Griffith Park fire, are filling with wildlife. I understand the worry about skunks, which turn tail and get stinky. And possums, which look like prehistoric rats and give me the shivers. Some people are worked up about raccoons, because they like our pet food and tend to be fearless. But should I really be concerned about a big cat?

See, I bet it's just a big 'fraidy cat that'll be more afraid of me than I am of it. If it's hungry, won't it try for something deliciously bite-sized, like a chihuahua? Should we really get worked up about a bobcat really wandering the streets of Silverlake in search of human prey?