A mountain lion found hiding under a vehicle in a busy Southern California neighborhood was tranquilized and relocated after drawing a crowd of onlookers, state wildlife officials said.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said its staff responded Monday to reports of the mountain lion sheltering beneath a vehicle in Escondido (San Diego County). The animal was spotted around 1:30 p.m.
“Due to the busy urban setting and a growing crowd of onlookers, environmental scientists made the call to safely immobilize and relocate the animal,” the agency said.
After the mountain lion was hit with a tranquilizer dart, it briefly ran to a nearby apartment complex, where officials monitored it with help from a police drone, CDFW said. Wildlife staff administered additional sedation so the animal could be safely handled and moved to a controlled area for evaluation.
The mountain lion was found to be in excellent health, officials said. It was well-fed, had a clean coat and showed no visible signs of injury. Wildlife officials also fitted the animal with a tracking collar to monitor its movements after release.
Around 11 p.m., once the mountain lion was fully awake and alert, officials released it near the Cleveland National Forest, CDFW said. Staff watched as the animal walked away and rested near a tree. It appeared slightly unsteady at first but quickly regained normal movement, according to the agency.