【波士顿双语网特约记者李心茗3月20日报道】波士顿以北的麻州温切斯特镇（Winchester）有不少华人居民。该镇警察局今天在其网站公布了一个动物在雪地留下的脚印，并称该镇居民从2月份开始有居民向警局报道在该镇的树林里看到过美洲山狮（mountain lion）。
温切斯特镇拍到的动物脚印（来自温切斯特警局网站）。
温切斯特警局表示，他们从今年二月份开始，在十天内接到两起美洲山狮的目击报告，并有人拍到可疑的动物脚印。警局将上面这个动物脚印的照片发送到几个独立的美国美洲山狮组织。这些组织专家得出结论说，脚印属于山狮。温彻斯特警察局提醒居民当心，美洲山狮可能仍然在该镇。如果您在该镇看到，请致电(781)729-1212 或 911报警。
温切斯特警局网站引用了美洲山狮基金会在近距离遇到美洲山狮时自我保护的若干要点，比如不能逃跑，而要冷静地面对它，要让自己显得大（把小孩子抱起来），用坚定的语气大声和它说话，让它觉得你也很有力量。万一美洲山狮扑上来，要保护好颈部和喉咙，有人用石头、外衣、工具、树枝、拐杖等与其搏斗，成功地赶走美洲山狮。
“The Mountain Lion Foundation also suggests several steps to keep yourself safe in the unlikely event you encounter a mountain lion:
If you do see a mountain lion, no matter how thrilled you are to be one of the very few who gets such an opportunity, stay well back, and take the encounter seriously.
Make yourself appear as large as possible.
Make yourself appear larger by picking up your children, leashing pets in, and standing close to other adults. Open your jacket. Raise your arms. Wave your raised arms slowly.
Make noise.
Yell, shout, bang your walking stick against a tree. Make any loud sound that cannot be confused by the lion as the sound of prey. Speak slowly, firmly and loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior.
Act like a predator yourself.
Maintain eye contact. Never run past or from a mountain lion. Never bend over or crouch down. Aggressively wave your raised arms, throw stones or branches, all without turning away.
Slowly create distance.
Assess the situation. Consider whether you may be between the lion and its kittens, or between the lion and its prey or cache. Back slowly to a spot that gives the mountain lion a path to get away, never turning away from the animal. Give a mountain lions the time and ability to move away.
Protect yourself.
If attacked, fight back. Protect your neck and throat. People have utilized rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, walking sticks, fanny packs and even bare hands to turn away cougars.
For more information, download the pdf brocheure published by the Mountain Lion Foundation and visit their site at http://www.mountainlion.org/portalprotect.asp