Mountain Lion Captured Near Glendale Homes

GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — A mountain lion was tranquilized and captured after being spotted Thursday in the backyard of a home in the foothills of Glendale, police said.

The lion was tranquilized at about 3:30 p.m. with two darts, and will likely receive a third before the big cat is removed from the scene and brought back to its natural habitat. It was first spotted at about 1:45 p.m. jumping over a fence in the backyard of a home in an area north of Foothill Boulevard and east of New York Avenue.

The owner of the home where the lion first appeared -- and where he was captured -- says he was watching Tiger Woods playing in the Masters when his dog spotted the mountain lion and attacked the glass window. John Yankosky added that the lion made a second appearance at his window before he hiding under his patio, where he was tranquilized.

"There was a lot of confusion, six or seven firemen around, animal control. There must be a dozen people in my little backyard, trying to get this cat out of this little one-by-one hole," Yankosky said. "Luckily, they were able to pull them out. It looked like we might have to tear my deck out to get him at one point."

The big cat had to be dragged out when it was determined the he was adequately tranquilized.

The mountain lion, described as a male weighing about 120 pounds, is believed to have come out of a wash looking for water because the hills are dry.

The neighborhood is just west of Clark Magnet High School, but officials said there was no immediate threat to students.