Early Morning Mountain Lion Sighting Reported In Modesto
MODESTO (CBS13) — Police say they got multiple reports of a mountain lion being sighted in Modesto early Thursday morning.
Around 5 p.m., the police department tweeted that "Authorities believe the mountain lion is bedded down at Dry Creek, east of Riverside Drive, but on north side of river." They are asking people to stay clear of the area as Fish and Game responds to the scene.
After approximately 4 hours, the search was called off after police say they found no evidence to corroborate the claim the mountain lion was bedded in the Dry Creek area.
**Update** Personnel from several agencies have spent the last few hours checking the Dry Creek area after getting info that the Mountain Lion was possibly bedded down in this area. No evidence has been found to corroborate this claim. The search is being called off at this time.
— Modesto Police Dept (@ModestoPolice) June 26, 2020
The first sighting was reported a little before 4 a.m. Modesto police say a citizen reported seeing what looked like a mountain lion run into Sonoma Park along East Orangeburg Avenue.
After responding to the scene, officers found another witness who reported seeing a mountain lion near the Century Center strip mall also along East Orangeburg Avenue.
Officers searched the area but came up empty. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified of the incident, police say.
Ring doorbell camera video from a neighborhood near Lakewood and East Orangeburg Avenue caught the big cat on film, police say.
While rare, Modesto is no stranger to mountain lion sightings. Back in September 2014, police investigated a reported mountain lion sighting along the Dry Creek Trail near the Creekside Golf Course.
Anyone who sees the mountain lion is urged to contact Modesto police dispatch at (209) 552-2470.