After a brief traipse through San Francisco, the mountain lion dubbed 157M has been safely released back into the wild.
Krysten Kellum, a public information officer for Fish and Wildlife, said biologists determined 157M was in “great health” despite his accidental foray into the heart of San Francisco. Officials were able to transport him directly from where he was contained – a tight space between two Pacific Heights apartment buildings – back to his habitat.
157M was released back into the Santa Cruz Mountains on Wednesday, Kellum said. A Fish and Wildlife biologist monitored him as he slept in the cage, waiting until he was alert enough to be released. The lion had been tranquilized around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday in San Francisco and didn’t fully wake up until between 2 and 3 a.m., she said.
Once he was awake, the biologist opened the door to the cage. 157M took a few tentative steps, and then bounded forward into the forest.
Kellum said the area where 157M was released has plenty of open space for him to roam and hopefully establish his own territory far from humans. It was a return to home for the animal, who was born in an open space on the Peninsula in April 2024, according to the Santa Cruz Puma Project.
When 157M was a kitten, researchers with the Puma Project placed a collar on him to help track his movement and behavior, but the collar eventually fell off. Before being released, the Puma Project placed a new collar on 157M. Residents and researchers alike will be able to track him on the Puma Project website within the next two months.
Experts examine the mountain lion that roamed San Francisco after it was tranquilized and captured on Tuesday. Wildlife officials determined the animal was in good health. (Courtesy San Francisco Fire Department)
Kellum noted that it was a lucky incident all around – 157M was able to be trapped and re-released safely, and he showed no signs of aggression despite multiple run-ins with humans and their dogs.
“It’s a happy ending for this guy,” Kellum said.
This article originally published at Video shows San Francisco mountain lion bounding into the wild after release.