A mountain lion was tranquilized in a Pasadena neighborhood Friday after the cougar sighting prompted some neighbors to shelter in place and forced students at a nearby school to stay inside.
What appeared to be an adult mountain lion was first spotted at around 11 a.m. on Euclid Avenue, north of Del Mar Boulevard, in a populous area of the city, according to Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.
While officials from the Department Fish and Wildfire reported to the neighborhood, the cougar stayed at the same location, officials said.
But because the mountain lion sighting occurred in the area with a lot of foot and car traffic, tenants at the apartment complex, which has about 40 units, were ordered to shelter in place until the animal was caught.
Another point of concern was that there’s a school, which is holding a graduation ceremony Friday, nearby. Mayfield Junior School was not letting students as state officials tried to catch the mountain lion, according to officials.
Eventually, officers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife were able to access the animal through a first floor window of the apartment building and tranquilized it.
“The news is a safe ending,” Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian said, adding the mountain lion laid low in bushes about 100 feet north of the apartment complex. “(State officials) will do a medical assessment of it, transport it for medical care if need be or back up to its habitat,” she said.
Road closures that had been in effect during the operation to capture the animal were lifted.
