Mountain lion sighting in San Francisco’s Panhandle neighborhood prompts alert to residents
SAN FRANCISCO —
A mountain lion had made its way into San Francisco’s Panhandle neighborhood over the weekend, a rare but not completely unheard-of sight for one of California’s major cities.
Residents reported seeing the lion near Fell and Baker streets, prompting Animal Care and Control to block off the area Saturday. An alert was sent to residents around 10 p.m. that night about the sighting.
Eventually, the mountain lion, which was not reported to be aggressive, safely left the area.
“Mountain lions are something we think about in the wild, but in reality, it is in our backyards,” one resident told affiliate KTVU.
This is not the first mountain lion sighting of the year for San Francisco. In January, a sighting was reported in Pacific Heights. Officials tranquilized it and released it in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
According to wildlife authorities, it’s common for younger lions to visit Golden Gate Park or the Presidio. They usually come from the Monterey Peninsula looking for food. Their parents may also kick them out of the area.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife describes mountain lions as being territorial animals. Females can have territories of up to 300 square miles, while males could have territories of up to 500 square miles, overlapping with several females.
Mountain lion kittens may stay with their mothers for anywhere between 18 to 24 months, CDFW said. After that, mountain lions spend most of their lives alone.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google