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Mountain Lion Captured In Simi Valley

SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA) — Authorities captured a mountain lion Thursday in Simi Valley, where residents and pet owners have been on edge from multiple sightings over the past two weeks.

mountain lion
(credit: CBS)

The mountain lion was spotted at about 5 a.m. in the residential areas of Belburn Place and Broadmoor Avenue. Simi Valley police and state Fish and Wildlife wardens found it in a backyard, eating a raccoon, and tranquilized it.

Rick and Leanne Robledo said they woke up to find police officers and Fish and Wildlife wardens already in their backyard.

"I guess they had tranquilized it, but it had still gotten up and was running through our backyard. It was mad," Leanne Robledo said.

The couple's children didn't seem to be scared by the sight of a wild animal in the yard where they play.

"I saw a mountain lion jumping through our backyard, and it was like jumping through our bikes, and jumping into it and bonking them down," 10-year-old Jared Robledo said.

The big cat captured Thursday, however, is not the same mountain lion that has been frequenting neighborhoods near the Simi Hills Golf Course. The mountain lion captured Thursday morning is a 100-pound male without a collar.

"They wanted a pet, but not that kind of pet," Rick Robledo said.

Last week, a collared mountain lion was spotted several times, walking along streets, jumping fences and even lounging alongside a sliding glass door at one home. Those sightings happened after a dog was killed and a second was attacked. Authorities say last week's mountain lion was a female that appeared older and thin, its ribs visible as it walked. It had a GPS collar around its neck, but officials say the collar was not working so the location of the mountain lion is not known.

The areas where the mountain lions had been spotted are about five miles apart. The big cat captured Thursday was in a residential area closer to busier shopping areas along Erringer Avenue and the 118 Freeway.

It's not clear why there have been more sightings of mountain lions recently, but it's obvious they're looking for food.

Fish and Wildlife say they're working with the National Park Service to collar the male mountain lion and release it back into the wild.

Simi Valley police says there were no more reports of sightings Thursday and they don't believe there are any other mountain lions in the area.

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