SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A 2-year-old, 77-pound mountain lion that was prowling San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood was located Tuesday morning and after several hours, they have been tranquilized and captured.
Animal Care & Control and Fish & Wildlife crews were out at California and Octavia Street, where they found the big cat cornered near an apartment building.
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Officials say the mountain lion was behind a black fence in a tight area between two buildings. They eventually tranquilized him in order to get him out safely.
“They’re going to prepare to tranquilize the animal, and it’s more likely than not that it will come out of its hiding spot. I think it’s possible that we’re going to see the animal coming down the side of the building,” San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill said.
The young mountain lion is being released back into the wild, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It was first seen on Sunday night wandering the streets of San Francisco near Lafayette Park and then spotted again Monday.
One woman, Roxanne Blank, came face-to-face with the mountain lion as it walked up the steps next to her apartment. She took a video of the encounter.
“We locked eyes for over five minutes,” Blank said. “I was actually really honored that the mountain lion didn’t eat me and we just had this nice long gaze into each other’s souls.”
Officials work to tranquilize mountain lion that’s been prowling SF’s Pac Heights neighborhood
Officials found the mountain lion that’s been wandering San Francisco, and have been preparing to tranquilize him to get him out safely.
ABC7 News spoke to several residents witnessing the scene as crews blocked off California Street between Laguna and Octavia Streets.
“I think its really exciting,” Tiffany Yap said. “I’m also a little bit worried about the mountain lion. I hope that they are able to bring him to a place where it’s more natural for him or her.”
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Neighbors watched from their apartments and balconies, as crews worked for hours to safely remove the animal. Some clapped when the mountain lion was finally taken away.
San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elias described the moment the animal was sedated, saying they had to make sure he was fully unconscious and that it took several darts.
Fish and Wildlife officials said mountain lions generally avoid humans, but can end up in urban areas and become trapped.
“Especially the males, they will, disperse from their mothers that are looking to establish their own territory,” said Krysten Kellum, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The mountain lion had been spotted several times in recent days, putting neighbors on alert.
Even Lt. Elias, a first responder, said he had heard of mountain lion sightings but had never seen one in person. He volunteered to help carry the mountain lion, only once it was tranquilized, he clarified with a chuckle.
Fish and Wildlife said the mountain lion was healthy enough to be released into the wild straight from the capture site, reducing the potential for added stress. Officials would not disclose the exact release location, but said it was somewhere in the region and away from areas with a high number of male mountain lions.
San Francisco fire officials said the mountain lion had been tracked and tagged before and was last known to be in Saratoga.
MORE: Mountain lion captured near Oracle Park in San Francisco
A mountain lion has been safely captured in the Mission Bay neighborhood near Oracle Park in San Francisco.
This latest mountain lion sighting in San Francisco is a reminder of a similar incident in 2020.
In June of that year, a big cat was loose around the city for several days, even prowling near the ABC7 News building.
People spotted it all around the Financial District, some capturing shots of it in the reflection off office buildings.
It was eventually captured near Oracle Park. After being re-released into a wilderness preserve, sadly, the animal was killed when it was hit by a car a few weeks later.
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