Mountain lion spotted in San Francisco neighborhoods
A mountain lion was seen in two San Francisco neighborhoods on Tuesday, according to CBS San Francisco. The animal was photographed by a Ring doorbell camera after 3 a.m. in the Portola neighborhood. It has also been seen in Bernal Heights.
Someone also spotted the mountain lion walking through Bernal Heights Park.
Both called San Francisco Animal Care & Control, which viewed footage of the animal and noticed that it had a collar.
With help from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the agency was able to determine that the cat had been collared by the Puma Project, a conservation program that tracks wild cats in the Bay Area.
I just talked with the homeowner in the Portola District that captured the footage of the mountain lion. She gave me the original video which is a bit clearer than the one I posted earlier. pic.twitter.com/HBEZnwyI9A
— Andrea Nakano (@AndreaKPIX) May 19, 2021
The last reading on the collar confirmed the animal roamed near the Bernal Heights neighborhood, including the area near I-280 and Highway 101.
Animal Care and Control believes the mountain lion is lost and could have already made its way back home.
"If he is still in the city, he's probably scared, hunkered down somewhere waiting for it to get dark so he can leave," Executive director Virginia Donohue told CBS San Francisco.
Though the mountain lion hasn't been seen doing anything aggressive, Animal Care and Control advise residents to remain cautious. They are encouraged to avoid running or turning their backs on the animal and instead should face the mountain lion if they encounter it, make noise, wave their arms in an attempt to look bigger, and throw objects if possible.