A rare sighting in the City by the Bay: A mountain lion spotted roaming San Francisco's streets has been captured by wildlife officials. The wild cat was first seen on Monday morning in the Pacific Heights neighborhood and had made its way into Lafayette Park before being located and tranquilized.
Eyewitness Madrey Hilton described the scene, stating that the mountain lion seemed "so big β¦ not just a regular cat." She captured footage of the animal, which appeared to be just going about its business. The lion even managed to scale a wall and into a park before it was eventually found by authorities.
While mountain lion sightings in San Francisco are uncommon, they have occurred before. In 2020, another young mountain lion was spotted in downtown San Francisco, sleeping in a planter box on a busy street. It also caught its own reflection in an office tower's glass and was later safely captured and released into the wild.
Wildlife experts explain that these animals often migrate from the hills south of the city to urban areas before eventually making their way back into the wilderness. In this case, the mountain lion has been transported to a safe location where it will be released back into the wild.
Eyewitness Madrey Hilton described the scene, stating that the mountain lion seemed "so big β¦ not just a regular cat." She captured footage of the animal, which appeared to be just going about its business. The lion even managed to scale a wall and into a park before it was eventually found by authorities.
While mountain lion sightings in San Francisco are uncommon, they have occurred before. In 2020, another young mountain lion was spotted in downtown San Francisco, sleeping in a planter box on a busy street. It also caught its own reflection in an office tower's glass and was later safely captured and released into the wild.
Wildlife experts explain that these animals often migrate from the hills south of the city to urban areas before eventually making their way back into the wilderness. In this case, the mountain lion has been transported to a safe location where it will be released back into the wild.