Gee....I don't think that I would rely on MINT to keep mountain lions away!

If you are serious about finding some good solutions to this situation, I suggest you contact your local wildlife agency. If you are creating an attraction dedicated to children, then mountain lions must be prevented from coming into the vicinity, I would think.

You might try posting this in the Wildlife Forum.

Fill in the pond.

Realistically, you make get some good suggestions here or in the wildlife section, but you have a known lion hang out on your hands. No suggestion will be good enough to warrant children wandering around safely. Perhaps a fence is your best bet, a tall one.

Research what animals have been used to keep lions away from herds (lamas maybe) and keep some on your property - then you could have a petting zoo as well as a garden. Mints are a little too passive for Mt Lion deterrence.

Think the mountain lions deserve the spot more than the blind children. There a threatend species. Mountain lions that is.

Mountain lions are a threatened species? Perhaps in Ohio, but they aren't here in the West. In fact, the population here in WA is getting so large that it is causing major problems with elk populations in some parts of the state. Calf mortality is very high.

I'd suggest a few very large dogs. Cats hate dogs, regardless of the size. One dog isn't necessarily going to do the trick. They'll probably just kill it. A small "pack" would have more of a chance.

Game management might have some better suggestions. I wouldn't mess around with this. Unless you are willing to run the risk of children being mauled and/or killed. Wild animals don't have moral issues; whatever happens to be handy is just fine with them.

I agree with contacting wildlife and game. We have mountain lions in our neighborhood also. We are in a small golf course community several miles from a larger Montana city. We often find large prints in the sand pits. And not too long ago one was spotted in broad daylight the next street up. They have never bothered us living here though because we have soooo many deer. I am sure they do not go hungry. Never the less, cougar hunters LOVE to hear of where they might get lucky (since obviously they are secretive and hard to shoot). And hearing once the price of a cougar hunting license gives the hunters an extra zeal. Assuming it is legal to hunt them in season that is the way I would go.

I also used to live in SO CA and know they are a much greater risk to people than here because they don't have as good a food source. Good luck:)