A mountain lion forced residents of Santa Monica and their tiny pets indoors as officials scoured the area for the apex predator.
The Santa Monica Police Department descended on the residential area of 14th and Montana Friday morning after someone allegedly saw the animal in the area.
Santa Monica PD descended on the area after reports of a mountain lion.
Videos from the area showed streets closed off as curious onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of the alleged mountain lion.
“Out of an abundance of caution, officers are in the area assessing the report and working with appropriate wildlife resources. At this time, there are no reported injuries,” a tweet from the department said.
The mountain lion was first located sleeping in a residential backyard, and did not move from that location for several hours, a SMPD spokesperson told The California Post. Officers waited on further assistance from wildlife fish and game officers.
Residents are being urged to stay indoors, keep pets inside, and avoid approaching the animal or trying to take photos of it. Anna Redmond
Videos from the area showed streets closed off as curious onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of the mountain lion.
After about six hours, the animal was reportedly hit with a tranquilizer, sending it running through the neighborhood. Officials were seen in a video chasing after the big cat in an attempt to wrangle and capture it.
Two hours after that, officials said the situation remained unchanged.
Finally, nine hours after it was first reported, the animal was successfully tranquilized and removed.
“The mountain lion reported in a Santa Monica residential area has been safely tranquilized by a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement supported the tranquilization and transportation of the animal,” a post from SMPD said.
“The mountain lion will be evaluated and safely relocated in coordination with wildlife experts, including the National Park Service’s Santa Monica Mountains study area team,” the note continued.
Residents were urged to stay indoors, keep pets inside, and avoid approaching the animal or trying to take photos of it while it was on the loose.
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