SAN FRANCISCO — A mountain lion that triggered a morning safety alert in San Francisco's Outer Sunset was tranquilized and captured Friday after moving through residential yards near 44th Avenue between Ulloa and Vicente streets.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife took custody of the animal. By late morning, San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management said the incident had been resolved and there was no continuing danger to the public.
Later Friday, CDFW spokesperson Peter Tira told SFGATE that researchers with the Santa Cruz Puma Project fitted the mountain lion with a satellite tracking collar. The animal is expected to be returned to wild habitat, where researchers can follow its movements.
Where was the mountain lion found in San Francisco?
The first city alert placed the sighting near 44th Avenue and Ulloa Street in the Outer Sunset. Mayor Daniel Lurie separately described the response as being near 44th Avenue and Vicente Street.
Those locations are only one block apart. Reporting from the scene placed the animal along the 2500 block of 44th Avenue, between Ulloa and Vicente, as responders worked to contain it.
When was the Outer Sunset mountain lion captured?
Police were dispatched at about 7:42 a.m. after a possible mountain lion report, according to SFGATE's account of the response. The Department of Emergency Management issued a public alert around 8:30 a.m.
Responders from San Francisco Animal Care & Control, police, the San Francisco Zoo and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife converged on the area. The mountain lion was tranquilized during the late morning and transferred to state wildlife officials. Shortly before 11:15 a.m., the city announced that game wardens had the animal in their care and the incident was resolved.
Was the mountain lion hurt?
Officials described the capture as safe. The animal was tranquilized rather than killed. CDFW then took custody for evaluation and the Santa Cruz Puma Project fitted it with a satellite collar.
No injuries to residents or responders were reported in the accounts reviewed by SF News Today.
Where will the mountain lion be released?
The plan reported Friday is to return the mountain lion to wild habitat. The exact release location and timing had not been publicly announced as of Friday afternoon.
The satellite collar should allow researchers to study where the animal travels after release. CDFW lists the Santa Cruz Puma Project as an ongoing research program examining how landscape features, energetic demands and other factors shape mountain lion movement and behavior.
Is this the same mountain lion seen in the Panhandle?
That has not been established. A mountain lion was seen in a tree near Fell and Baker streets in the Panhandle earlier in September, followed by another reported sighting near 44th Avenue and Fulton Street on the north side of Golden Gate Park.
Because Friday's animal is now collared and in wildlife custody, researchers may eventually be able to compare what they know about it with the earlier sightings. But officials had not confirmed Friday afternoon that the sightings involved the same animal.
What should you do if you see a mountain lion in San Francisco?
CDFW advises people who encounter a mountain lion to stay calm, face the animal and do not run. Give it a way to leave. Pick up small children, keep dogs close and make yourself appear larger if the animal approaches.
San Francisco's Friday alert similarly told residents to slowly back away, avoid running and keep dogs leashed. During an immediate life-safety emergency, call 911. Animal Care & Control can also take wildlife reports.
Sources and official guidance
- SFGATE — capture timeline, CDFW custody and Peter Tira's satellite-collar update
- Bay City News via SFGATE — Department of Emergency Management alert and resolved-incident update
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife — mountain lion encounter guidance
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Santa Cruz Puma Project research listing
- Santa Cruz Puma Project — research program