WAN Update On The Male Mountain Lion Found Yesterday In Brentwood, California, That Was Safely Relocated Back Into The Wild

A young male mountain lion that was found wandering the streets of Brentwood, California, yesterday, taking residents of the busy city by surprise, has safely been relocated back into the wild.

WAN talked to Tim Daly, the Information Officer for the South Coast Region of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), about the situation that began Thursday morning when the male mountain lion was first spotted on a Brentwood golf course. Fish and Wildlife and police officers were on scene all day trying to safely capture the mountain lion to relocate him back into suitable habitat.

After a full day of trying to capture the elusive big cat, wildlife officers were finally able to sedate the mountian lion yesterday afternoon and release him back into the wild at approximately 9:00pm.

Daly explained that they do not share the exact location of where wild animals are released in cases such as this, so it is not public knowledge what forest the mountain lion was relocated to for his safety.

According to Daly, a CDFW biologist and a “wildlife conflict specialist” were on hand to assist with capturing and releasing the mountain lion. They determined that, the best plan was to dart the mountain lion because “there was no obvious path for him to go back into the mountains.”

The mountain lion was found near a school and on the grounds of the Brentwood Country Club before he ran into the backyard of a house in a nearby neighborhood. Daly shared that a third dart was released and took effect, sedating the mountain lion so that fish and wildlife officials could secure him and return him back to the mountains.

There were two prior attempts to dart the mountain lion which proved to be unsuccessful. This was most likely due to the fact that the drugs used to sedate the mountian lion are not as effective in an animal that is agitated. This young mountain lion was clearly stressed being amongst many people in a big city.

CDFW officials did not collar the mountain lion because, in situations like this, it is the responsibility of the Santa Monica Park Service which continues to track wildlife after they are released.

Daly also noted that, as they always do, the CDFW personnel stayed with the mountain lion until he woke up and was alert enough to safely run off into the wilderness on his own. They also make sure the release takes place in an area where there is shade and water nearby.

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