A mountain lion found living in Pasadena was captured by wildlife officials

The Pasadena community was on high alert Friday after a mountain lion was spotted hanging out near an elementary school during a packed graduation ceremony, officials said.

The Pasadena Police Department received a call around 11:00 a.m. that a cougar was in the front yard of an apartment complex at Del Mar Boulevard and Euclid Avenue, prompting residents to be alerted, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.

Wildlife officials captured the cat that afternoon, and biologists determined it was a healthy young male, according to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman. It will be released in the nearest suitable location in the Angeles National Forest, the spokesman said.

The incident left city officials scratching their heads as to how the creature crossed the 210 freeway and decided to crash into a residential area surrounded by freeways. In the Los Angeles area alone, 32 mountain lions have been killed by vehicles since 2002, according to the National Park Service.

“This is very rare,” said Derderian, “and the fact that he was not injured is a miracle.”

What’s even more confusing is that just one week ago a mountain lion was found in a residential area of ​​Santa Monica, which also prompted shelter-in-place warnings for people living nearby. That lion was successfully silenced without injury.

“It seems like it was a coincidence that two similar incidents happened in consecutive weeks and this was not the mountain lion that was in Santa Monica last week,” said a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife.

There were also two mountain lion sightings reported in Pasedena in May. However, in both those cases, the animal quickly left and was not caught by wildlife officials.

At the time, Kevin McManus with Pasadena Humane told ABC7 News that mountain lion sightings in the city are “extremely rare,” but noted that last year’s wildfires may have driven the cats into residential areas.

“The Eaton fire had huge, devastating effects, not too far from cougar natural habitat, so they’re probably here looking for food, water and shelter,” he told the station.

Communities in the San Gabriel Mountains have also seen an increase in bear numbers after the fire, which burned much of the bruins’ immediate habitat.

A Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said people can help avoid attracting more wildlife to urban areas by removing attractants from their homes. This includes things like unsecured garbage cans, fallen fruit, bird feeders, pet food left outside and dirty stoves.

“All of these can produce odors that can attract wildlife such as mountain lions, bears or coyotes,” the spokesperson said.

People who live near mountain lion habitat can also reduce the risk of encounters by avoiding outdoor exercise in the morning, dusk or at night, keeping pets indoors at night, clearing dense vegetation around their homes and installing outdoor lighting to make it difficult for mountain lions to approach without being seen.

In the rare event that members of the public encounter a mountain lion, they are advised to avoid running and instead make themselves appear larger by extending and waving their arms while backing away, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Mountain lions can be found in wilderness areas near Pasadena such as the Angeles National Forest and Arroyo Seco. The National Park Service also estimates that there are approximately 10 to 15 mountain lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains at any given time.

In California, the cat population faces several threats – including human encroachment, loss of habitat and pets due to wildfires, rat poison, disease and traffic collisions. Earlier this year, the California Fish and Game Commission gave six mountain lions endangered status to try to increase their chances of survival.