In a series of gruesome attacks, 40 chickens were killed by mountain lions in Sonoma County last week, rattling farmers.
A Penngrove mother, Pamela Ajello, and her two young daughters were terrorized when their farm of chickens were killed by a pack of mountain lions, The Press Democrat said.
The pack had visited the family's chicken coop a total of five times, ending in a major massacre Friday night where nearly half a dozen of their birds were killed.
Last weekend the family had a burial for the lost chickens where Ajello's daughters said a prayer bidding farewell to their pets. "It's really sad for them, but they also have gotten a big education living in a wild place like this," Ajello told the newspaper.
Scientists believe the attack was due to a mother teaching her cubs to hunt, explaining why the chickens were ambushed so many times.
The family trapped the lions after the final blow, but said they ultimately decided to help them escape back into the woods.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife advised farmers to install electric fencing around their coops and to obstruct the view of potential predators to avoid incidents such as this one, the newspaper said.
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