California

Mountain lion spotted in Sacramento Valley, quickly fled after being located in tree

Mountain lions are carnivores with large canine teeth and sharp, specialized molars for stabbing and tearing, according to Aquarium of the Pacific.
Mountain lions are carnivores with large canine teeth and sharp, specialized molars for stabbing and tearing, according to Aquarium of the Pacific. National Park Service

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Mountain Lions in California

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A mountain lion was spotted early Thursday morning near Yolo, according to the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.

About 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to reports of a mountain lion near the unincorporated community at County Roads 98 and 17, not far from Jackson Street.

Lt. Juan Ceja said some dogs were chasing the large cat off of someone’s property. The dogs stopped their chase after the cougar climbed into a tree.

When deputies arrived and confirmed the sighting, the sheriff’s animal services division and state Fish and Wildlife officials were notified. But soon after being spotted, the mountain lion fled westbound.

“The mountain lion jumped out of the tree and ran away,” Ceja said.

This isn’t the only reported sighting of a mountain lion in Northern California this week. A cougar was spotted attacking a woman’s dog Monday afternoon in the Big Bar area of Trinity County — which is located approximately three and a half hours northwest of Yolo and four hours from Sacramento.

For areas in which the mountain lion is spotted, wildlife officials recommend people not hike alone, to not approach or run from the mountain lion and not to bend or crouch when the cougar is in view.

This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Mountain lion spotted in Sacramento Valley, quickly fled after being located in tree."

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Noor Adatia
The Sacramento Bee
Noor Adatia was a 2021 summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee.
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Mountain Lions in California

Click the arrow below for more coverage on mountain lions in the Sacramento region and California.