Mountain Lion Tranquilized After Sighting In Diamond Heights
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A mountain lion that was spotted in San Francisco's Diamond Heights neighborhood has been shot with a tranquilizer gun by a Department of Fish and Wildlife warden Friday afternoon.
The big cat commotion began Friday morning when the mountain lion, likely searching for his or her own territory, got lost and wound up between two apartment complexes on Diamond Heights Boulevard.
Police, officers from the San Francisco Animal Care and Control and wardens from the Department of Fish and Wildlife worked to capture the animal.
"Based on the location of where the mountain lion was, it's not a location where it would be able to find it's own way back into a wildlife corridor to return to its natural habitat," said Lt. James Ober with California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It took several hours for one of the few tranquilizer authorized Fish and Wildlife agents to arrive on scene. The cat was shot with one tranquilizer dart, but it didn't seem to really work, even though the mountain lion rolled down the hill.
"As it rolled down the hill, it appeared that it had a little too much stimulation for the drug to help it go all the way under," said Ober.
KCBS reporter Margie Shafer posted a photo of the mountain lion after it was shot shortly before 2 p.m.
After a second dart, the animal was sufficiently sedated for authorities to handle it safely.
Fish and Wildlife officials carried the mountain lion to the back of a truck and bound its feet for transportation purposes. Despite the two darts, the animal was still seen twitching its paws after being bound.
Officials were able to determine after sedation that the mountain lion was a young male about 18 months old and weighing 82 pounds.
Fish and Wildlife moved the big cat to Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo County.
"They can take the animal and hopefully create a happy home for it in that habitat," said Oakland Zoo Conservation Director Amy Gottlieb
Wildlife officials weren't sure if the mountain lion was the same one caught on tape twice this week outside Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's home near the Presidio.
