A young mountain lion was captured in a Redwood City, California, backyard Monday morning after police warned nearby residents to bring their pets indoors while officers and wildlife crews searched the neighborhood.
The sighting happened in the city’s Roosevelt neighborhood near Madison Avenue and Hudson Street, close to Red Morton Park. According to CBS Bay Area, Redwood City police sent an alert just before 11 a.m. while officers helped California Department of Fish and Wildlife crews search the area.
A Redwood City police drone unit located the mountain lion in the backyard of a home on Madison Avenue. State wildlife officers later used a tranquilizing dart and moved the animal out of the residential area.
The Redwood City incident ended without reported injuries, but the warning travels well beyond California. When a large predator enters a residential block, the safest first steps are simple: bring pets inside, keep children away from the area, avoid approaching the animal, and let trained wildlife officers handle the response.
Police Told Residents To Bring Pets Indoors
Residents in the area were encouraged to keep pets indoors while officers and wildlife officials searched near Madison Avenue and Hudson Street.
Cats, small dogs, chickens, rabbits, and other outdoor animals can become vulnerable when a mountain lion wanders into a residential block, especially in neighborhoods close to parks, creeks, foothills, or open-space corridors.
CBS Bay Area reported that no people or other animals were injured or affected during the Redwood City incident. The outcome was calm, but the response still shows why pet owners should move quickly when police or wildlife agencies issue an alert.
A Drone Helped Track The Mountain Lion In A Backyard
Police spokesperson Capt. Junsun Lee told CBS Bay Area that the drone helped safely track the mountain lion while Fish and Wildlife crews planned the capture. The animal was found in the backyard of a home on Madison Avenue.
ABC7 Bay Area reported that officials used drones to follow and tranquilize the young female mountain lion, estimated to be 1 to 2 years old. The animal was fitted with a GPS-tracking collar for a UC Santa Cruz study before being moved toward open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Wildlife Officials Said The Cat Wandered From Nearby Habitat
CDFW spokesperson Krysten Kellum described the Redwood City case as a “no-harm, no-foul” situation in which a mountain lion left nearby suitable habitat and wandered into a populated area. CBS Bay Area reported that wildlife officials assessed the animal before tranquilizing it and moving it back toward open-space habitat.
Wildlife officials often look at the animal’s health, behavior, location, and risk before deciding how to respond.
California wildlife officials say mountain lions typically avoid humans, but they can take pets or livestock if residents do not take precautions. The agency recommends keeping pets indoors whenever possible, especially for people living next to wildlife habitat.
Pets, Poultry, And Small Livestock Need Extra Protection
Mountain lions can move through suburban areas where yards, fences, landscaping, and outdoor animals create easy hiding places or easy targets.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife advises residents to keep pets indoors whenever possible, keep dogs inside overnight or supervised outdoors, use secure enclosures for animals such as chickens, ducks, goats, and other livestock, and reduce hiding spots around the home by removing dense vegetation.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service guidance also tells people not to feed wildlife or leave food outside because those habits can attract the prey animals that draw cougars closer. The agency also warns that roaming pets are easy prey.
If A Mountain Lion Enters A Yard, Do Not Approach It
Residents who see a mountain lion near a home should not try to corner, feed, photograph up close, scare, or capture the animal. The safer move is to get people and pets inside, give the animal space, and contact local police, animal control, or the state wildlife agency.
Mountain lion safety guidance from U.S. Fish & Wildlife says people should avoid running from a cougar, avoid crouching or bending over, make themselves appear larger if confronted, keep children close, and give the animal room to leave. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District also tells visitors not to approach a mountain lion, not to turn their backs, and to keep children and pets close.
The Redwood City mountain lion was captured and moved without reported injuries, which is exactly the kind of outcome officials want. For neighborhoods near wildlife habitat, the best backyard plan starts before the alert: pets inside at night, small animals secured, food removed, dense cover reduced, and official numbers easy to find when a large predator shows up where people live.