After Oakland Zoo Examination, Mountain Lion Captured in SF Set for Return to Wild – CBS San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A mountain lion captured late Wednesday evening in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights was examined by veterinarians at Oakland Zoo and turned over to California DFW officials for release to the wild.
After being spotted in a tree on Santa Maria Street near Mission Street late Wednesday, the San Francisco zookeepers met with staff from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who hit the mountain lion with a reassurance arrow just before midnight .
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The mountain lion stands in a tree in Santa Marina near Mission. Animal control officers are on site and monitor the situation. California Fish & Wildlife is on the way to shoot and remove. pic.twitter.com/wCBYalUAmn
– SF Animal Care (@SFACC) May 20, 2021
“It was pretty shocking. At first I thought it probably wasn’t real, ”said Bernal Heights resident Ruth Ferguson, who discovered the puma.
After a few minutes the puma climbed down the tree and up the front stairs of a house and was incapacitated on the porch of the house.
“We let the medication work for about 15 minutes. At this point we went up and rated and the mountain lion was well sedated. We limped, which is mainly so that when the mountain lion starts moving it doesn’t hurt itself and if for some reason it took an unusually long time to get it to the zoo, they wouldn’t have to stun it again before using the assessment can begin, ”said James Ober, Lt. of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fish and Wildlife staff then took it to the Oakland Zoo, where it arrived at around 1 a.m. on Thursday for observation and examination before it was due to be released into the wild.
Our veterinary clinic admitted a healthy, 2 year old male mountain lion around 1:00 a.m. this morning! He was found in the neighborhood of SF Bernal Heights. (It was previously looked after by @ucsc Puma Project)… pic.twitter.com/C6Mc8RFUZU
– Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) May 20, 2021
Zoo officials tweeted that the healthy two-year-old male mountain lion had been vaccinated and blood tests done while he was at the zoo. The animal was also found previously tied up by the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project.
Oakland Zoo veterinarian Alex Herman affectionately called the big cat “Mister Handsome”.
“We’re basically going to give him an injection to make him fall asleep so we can handle him safely, but it’s also not stressful for him,” Herman explained. “We want this guy to have the best experience possible. So I’m going to do a full physical exam. “
When asked how the mountain lion got to San Francisco, Dr. Herman, the distance traveled is not unusual.
“Well, it’s normal spreading behavior, so it’s normal for them to really move around the peninsula,” she said.
Where would the cat be released back into the wild?
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“I can’t say where he will be released, but he probably won’t be returning to Santa Cruz because we don’t want him to find his way back to San Francisco,” Herman said.
On Thursday afternoon, zoo officials posted on Twitter that the animal had been turned over to Department of Fish and Wildlife officials for release in a safe location somewhere in Santa Clara County.
Our vet and zookeeper investigated the mountain lion rescue we received last night. Overall, the 2-year-old man is in excellent health! After his exam and vaccinations, he was sent to @CaliforniaDFW along with our best wishes for release in a safe location in Santa Clara County. pic.twitter.com/wWhMWjhp5a
– Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) May 20, 2021
Data collected from the mountain lion’s collar confirmed it was the same as it was discovered Tuesday morning in the Portola and Bernal Heights neighborhoods.
Animal control officials said it was a young man who probably weighed between 120 and 130 pounds.
Warning signs were posted over the mountain lion on Tuesday, and residents were notified on Wednesday morning that the lion may still be in the area.
According to officials from the San Francisco Animal Care and Control Department, the surveillance video caught the animal roaming Gaven Street in the Portola neighborhood around 3:50 a.m. on Tuesday.
Later on Tuesday morning, an eyewitness reported seeing the mountain lion near Bernal Hill Park.
“This kitten may not have been able to find an available patch,” said Zara McDonald, director of the Bay Area Puma Project. “So he went north and ended up in San Francisco.”
The last time this happened was in June last year when a mountain lion spent two days in town before being captured in Mission Bay. The animal was released in San Mateo County only to be hit by a car in Pacifica.
The youngest visitor to the city will be alone once released in a place that appears suitable for a mountain lion.
“Hopefully he’s fine,” said McDonald. “I think that’s the question these days. The size of these patches and how small and how bad they must be before cougars can no longer use them. “
McDonald believes that increased sightings, thanks to more cameras like the one that spotted the cat in Bernal Heights, may hide the fact that the population is actually shrinking.
“There are many forces against these animals that survive today,” said McDonald. “Those who survive overcome many opportunities. Yes, you need to be aware if you live on the outskirts. However, we are not on their menus. These animals are not after us. They are trying to survive. “
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Wilson Walker contributed to this story.
