Residents have reported a mountain lion roaming around Pacifica, California was shared online. It was also caught on video surveillance watching two kids riding their bikes in the streets.
Timothy Kerrisk, who initially thought it was someone's German Shepherd, shared how the cougar was in his front yard as he screamed at the two children to run inside. The mountain lion then turned around, approached Timothy, then jumped over his gate towards a neighbor's truck.
Timothy said that he chased off the creature until it returned towards the hill. He also shared that he was terrified when he saw the mountain lion and acted out of "pure adrenaline.
Andrew Mooney from the same neighborhood said that his surveillance camera also caught some footage of the mountain lion chasing Timothy's little cat before it went to watch the kids.
Although mountain lion sightings are common in Pacifica, he shared, this creature was the largest he's seen and looked like it was well fed.
Zara McDonald from the organization shared that residents should expect to see more of the mountain lion at this time, "but there's nothing abnormal or scary or threatening about its behavior thus far." Another cougar sighting was reported a month ago at the front steps of Mike Watkins in the Fairmont neighborhood.
After going through surveillance footage, he initially thought the creature was either a cat or a raccoon until he noticed its size and long tail. It's the first time he's encountered a mountain lion, he shared, but "have seen deer, raccoons, skunks, coyote, and others."
Encountering Mountain Lions in the Neighborhood
Currently, the Bay Area Puma Project is tracking the cougar. Wild animals have been roaming around in the neighborhood recently due to the wildfires affecting their natural habitat.
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife has provided several guidelines of what residents should do if they encounter mountain lions including keeping a close watch on small children and avoid outdoor activities alone during dawn, dusk, and nighttime when the creatures are most active.
Mountain lions are quiet, but typically avoid humans. Instead of running away during an encounter, it would be better to face the animal, make noise, or scare it by throwing rocks or waving one's arms to look bigger.
Santa Monica Mountain Lions
California's mountain lions from the Santa Monica Mountains have had a rapid decline in their population in recent years due to wildfires, loss of habitat, and human activities, namely the freeways. Biologists are hoping for the species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act as they anticipate the Southern California mountain lions to become extinct by 2070.
Experts have recently reported physical evidence of a genetic mutation in male mountain lions as a result of low biodiversity. Conservationists predict that there are only 20 cougars left in one of the clans that have been isolated by 15 freeways in the area.
Several organizations are also pushing for the construction of a wildlife overpass, which would allow cougars to safely cross to other natural habitats without becoming roadkill on the 101 freeway.
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