Campus Alert Archive
Pepperdine

Update: Malibu Campus Mountain Lion Sightings

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On 2018-02-27, Pepperdine Emergency Information posted: Update: Malibu Campus Mountain Lion Sightings.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Pepperdine University
Private R2 · CA
All Pepperdine cases →
~8,800 studentsPepperdine Emergency Information
Official alert policy
Read when and how Pepperdine says it will use Everbridge Mass Notification: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTWebsite
Verified verbatim4808 chars
Additional sightings of mountain lions have continued on campus, including a resident and his dog being approached by what appears to be a young lion. Pepperdine has also received information from the National Parks Service that relates to the lion activity we are experiencing. National Parks has successfully trapped a young lion (about 50 pounds) on the Malibu campus. They have confirmed the lion is not in distress, and they have collared the animal for tracking. Often, after lions have been trapped, they leave that area, and National Parks advises this is likely in this case. It is possible that a second young lion — a sibling — has also been seen on campus. The National Parks Service representatives on campus have studied mountain lion behavior in the Santa Monica Mountains for more than 15 years, and they continue to assure University officials they see no elevated risk in the lion behavior we are experiencing. Nevertheless, it is very important that all members of the Pepperdine community remain vigilant and follow best practices. Pepperdine officials share confirmed mountain lion sightings near the Malibu campus to ensure the University community is informed of, but not overly alarmed by, the wildlife with whom we share the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the last week or so, several mountain lion sightings have been reported at the following locations (new sightings appear in green): - February 27 – 8:10 AM – Drescher Campus Loading Dock – Unconfirmed - February 27 – 12:52 AM – Towers Parking Lot – Confirmed - February 27 – 12:30 AM – Huntsinger Circle – Confirmed - February 27 – 12:13 AM – School of Law Student Parking Lot – Unconfirmed - February 26 – 9:04 PM – Intersection of Via de Casa and Via Pacifica – Confirmed - The mountain lion approached a Drescher resident and his dog while they were out for a walk. The resident said the animal rapidly approached him from the rear, likely seeking access to his dog, but that the lion did not bite, strike, or snarl at them. The lion fled when the resident kicked at it, though he did not make contact with the animal. It appears that this was one of the young lions described above. - February 26 – 8:44 PM – Drescher Campus Parking Lot – Confirmed - February 26 – 6:30 PM – ½ mile up the hiking trail off of Chaparral Circle – Unconfirmed - February 24 – 11:38 PM – Baxter Drive Park – Confirmed - The mountain lion was found near a deer carcass and may return to the area to continue feeding for the next few days. As a precaution, Baxter Drive Park has been temporarily closed. - February 24 – 4:00 PM – Heroes Garden – Confirmed - February 23 – 7:13 PM – Via Pacifica and Chaparral Circle – Unconfirmed - February 23 – 12:45 AM – Thornton Administrative Center – Unconfirmed - February 22 – 5:06 PM – Tiner Court – Confirmed - February 21 – 9:10 PM – Lovernich – Unconfirmed - February 19 – 12:45 AM – President’s and Seaver Drive Intersection – Confirmed - February 17 – 4:15 AM – Center for Communication and Business Parking Lot – Unconfirmed Confirmed sightings are those seen directly by University officials or with photo/video documentation. We continue to work closely with the National Parks Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess the situation. You may observe personnel from these agencies on campus. These organizations do not characterize the behavior from the mountain lions as aggressive, and have indicated there is no current threat to the safety of the University community. University officials will continue to monitor this matter and advise the community to remain alert to wildlife on campus. Please remember: - Do not hike, bike, or jog alone, especially from dusk until dawn when mountain lions are most active. - If you encounter an animal carcass while hiking, note the location, report it to Public Safety, and calmly leave the area. - Remember Public Safety security escorts are available on the Malibu campus 24/7 by calling Public Safety Dispatch at (310) 506-4442. - If you see a mountain lion on or near the Malibu campus, please report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4441. - If safe to do so, please take a picture and/or video and send it to Public Safety via the LiveSafe app. As a reminder, if you encounter a mountain lion: - Respect the animal. - Maintain eye contact and move away slowly. - Do NOT run. Running will trigger the mountain lion’s instinct to chase you. - Appear as large, loud, and powerful as possible. - If there are small children or pets present, pick them up immediately. Additionally do NOT leave them unattended outside. - Do not approach the mountain lion. Leave space for the cat to escape. - In the unlikely event of an attack, fight back. Do not fall to the ground or roll into the fetal position.
Verify this quote
Pepperdine Emergency Information — Update: Malibu Campus Mountain Lion Sightingsemergency.pepperdine.edufind archived copies
Full body from RSS content:encoded.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Additional sightings of mountain lions have continued on campus, including a resident and his dog being approached by what appears to be a young lion. Pepperdine has also received information from the National Parks Service that relates to the lion activity we are experiencing. National Parks has successfully trapped a young lion (about 50 pounds) on the Malibu campus. They have confirmed the lion is not in distress, and they have collared the animal for tracking. Often, after lions have been trapped, they leave that area, and National Parks advises this is likely in this case. It is possible that a second young lion — a sibling — has also been seen on campus. The National Parks Service representatives on campus have studied mountain lion behavior in the Santa Monica Mountains for more than 15 years, and they continue to assure University officials they see no elevated risk in the lion behavior we are experiencing. Nevertheless, it is very important that all members of the Pepperdine community remain vigilant and follow best practices. Pepperdine officials share confirmed mountain lion sightings near the Malibu campus to ensure the University community is informed of, but not overly alarmed by, the wildlife with whom we share the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the last week or so, several mountain lion sightings have been reported at the following locations (new sightings appear in green): - February 27 – 8:10 AM – Drescher Campus Loading Dock – Unconfirmed - February 27 – 12:52 AM – Towers Parking Lot – Confirmed - February 27 – 12:30 AM – Huntsinger Circle – Confirmed - February 27 – 12:13 AM – School of Law Student Parking Lot – Unconfirmed - February 26 – 9:04 PM – Intersection of Via de Casa and Via Pacifica – Confirmed - The mountain lion approached a Drescher resident and his dog while they were out for a walk. The resident said the animal rapidly approached him from the rear, likely seeking access to his dog, but that the lion did not bite, strike, or snarl at them. The lion fled when the resident kicked at it, though he did not make contact with the animal. It appears that this was one of the young lions described above. - February 26 – 8:44 PM – Drescher Campus Parking Lot – Confirmed - February 26 – 6:30 PM – ½ mile up the hiking trail off of Chaparral Circle – Unconfirmed - February 24 – 11:38 PM – Baxter Drive Park – Confirmed - The mountain lion was found near a deer carcass and may return to the area to continue feeding for the next few days. As a precaution, Baxter Drive Park has been temporarily closed. - February 24 – 4:00 PM – Heroes Garden – Confirmed - February 23 – 7:13 PM – Via Pacifica and Chaparral Circle – Unconfirmed - February 23 – 12:45 AM – Thornton Administrative Center – Unconfirmed - February 22 – 5:06 PM – Tiner Court – Confirmed - February 21 – 9:10 PM – Lovernich – Unconfirmed - February 19 – 12:45 AM – President’s and Seaver Drive Intersection – Confirmed - February 17 – 4:15 AM – Center for Communication and Business Parking Lot – Unconfirmed Confirmed sightings are those seen directly by University officials or with photo/video documentation. We continue to work closely with the National Parks Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess the situation. You may observe personnel from these agencies on campus. These organizations do not characterize the behavior from the mountain lions as aggressive, and have indicated there is no current threat to the safety of the University community. University officials will continue to monitor this matter and advise the community to remain alert to wildlife on campus. Please remember: - Do not hike, bike, or jog alone, especially from dusk until dawn when mountain lions are most active. - If you encounter an animal carcass while hiking, note the location, report it to Public Safety, and calmly leave the area. - Remember Public Safety security escorts are available on the Malibu campus 24/7 by calling Public Safety Dispatch at (310) 506-4442. - If you see a mountain lion on or near the Malibu campus, please report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4441. - If safe to do so, please take a picture and/or video and send it to Public Safety via the LiveSafe app. As a reminder, if you encounter a mountain lion: - Respect the animal. - Maintain eye contact and move away slowly. - Do NOT run. Running will trigger the mountain lion’s instinct to chase you. - Appear as large, loud, and powerful as possible. - If there are small children or pets present, pick them up immediately. Additionally do NOT leave them unattended outside. - Do not approach the mountain lion. Leave space for the cat to escape. - In the unlikely event of an attack, fight back. Do not fall to the ground or roll into the fetal position.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds s present (25/25).

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: University sender. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because University sender. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: University sender. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from University sender. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: University sender. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via University sender. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on University sender. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: University sender. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: University sender. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: University sender. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: University sender. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because University sender. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: University sender. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from University sender. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: University sender. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via University sender. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on University sender. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: University sender. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: University sender. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: University sender. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: University sender. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because University sender. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: University sender. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from University sender. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: University sender. Pass note 25.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds h present (25/25).

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: hazard named. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because hazard named. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: hazard named. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from hazard named. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: hazard named. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via hazard named. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on hazard named. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: hazard named. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: hazard named. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: hazard named. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: hazard named. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because hazard named. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: hazard named. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from hazard named. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: hazard named. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via hazard named. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on hazard named. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: hazard named. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: hazard named. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: hazard named. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: hazard named. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because hazard named. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: hazard named. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from hazard named. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: hazard named. Pass note 25.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds l present (25/25).

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: named place. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because named place. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: named place. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from named place. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: named place. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via named place. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on named place. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: named place. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: named place. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: named place. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: named place. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because named place. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: named place. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from named place. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: named place. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via named place. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on named place. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: named place. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: named place. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: named place. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: named place. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because named place. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: named place. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from named place. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: named place. Pass note 25.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds g present (25/25).

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: guidance. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because guidance. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: guidance. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from guidance. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: guidance. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via guidance. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on guidance. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: guidance. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: guidance. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: guidance. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: guidance. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because guidance. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: guidance. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from guidance. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: guidance. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via guidance. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on guidance. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: guidance. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: guidance. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: guidance. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: guidance. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because guidance. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: guidance. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from guidance. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: guidance. Pass note 25.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds t present (25/25).

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: time cue. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because time cue. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: time cue. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from time cue. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: time cue. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via time cue. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on time cue. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: time cue. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: time cue. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: time cue. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: time cue. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because time cue. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: time cue. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from time cue. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: time cue. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via time cue. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on time cue. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: time cue. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: time cue. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: time cue. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: time cue. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because time cue. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: time cue. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from time cue. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: time cue. Pass note 25.
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Majority finds i present (25/25).

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Element present: impact. Pass note 1.
    2. present: Coded present because impact. Pass note 2.
    3. present: Text supports present call: impact. Pass note 3.
    4. present: Judged present from impact. Pass note 4.
    5. present: This element is present: impact. Pass note 5.
    6. present: Evidence is present via impact. Pass note 6.
    7. present: Present rests on impact. Pass note 7.
    8. present: Reading yields present: impact. Pass note 8.
    9. present: Clear present signal: impact. Pass note 9.
    10. present: Final present call: impact. Pass note 10.
    11. present: Element present: impact. Pass note 11.
    12. present: Coded present because impact. Pass note 12.
    13. present: Text supports present call: impact. Pass note 13.
    14. present: Judged present from impact. Pass note 14.
    15. present: This element is present: impact. Pass note 15.
    16. present: Evidence is present via impact. Pass note 16.
    17. present: Present rests on impact. Pass note 17.
    18. present: Reading yields present: impact. Pass note 18.
    19. present: Clear present signal: impact. Pass note 19.
    20. present: Final present call: impact. Pass note 20.
    21. present: Element present: impact. Pass note 21.
    22. present: Coded present because impact. Pass note 22.
    23. present: Text supports present call: impact. Pass note 23.
    24. present: Judged present from impact. Pass note 24.
    25. present: This element is present: impact. Pass note 25.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Pepperdine Emergency Information notice.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official post body recovered from RSS.
Outcome
See notice.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Update: Malibu Campus Mountain Lion Sightings
    emergency.pepperdine.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Pepperdine University: Update: Malibu Campus Mountain Lion Sightings." Incident of February 27, 2018. Added July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/pepperdine-university-update-malibu-campus-mountain-lion-sightings-2018-02-27/

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Added July 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion