Young Mountain Lion Captured in San Francisco
This photo provided by San Francisco Animal Care and Control shows Dr. Adrian Mutlow, left, chief veterinarian at the San Francisco Zoo, examining a mountain lion after it was tranquilized, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in San Francisco. (San Francisco Animal Care and Control via AP)
A young mountain lion wandered through one of San Francisco’s most expensive neighborhoods this week, triggering a multi-agency response and warnings for residents to be cautious while outdoors.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control officials said the approximately 1-year-old mountain lion was first spotted early Monday near Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights. The animal was seen again later that night, according to KTVU. After an hourslong standoff Tuesday morning, authorities captured the big cat in the same neighborhood, SFGate reported.
Officials said the mountain lion was cornered in a narrow space between two buildings, where police officers fired tranquilizer darts from a nearby fire escape. Once the sedatives took effect, the 77-pound male mountain lion was secured in a metal cage and removed from the area.
San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elías said the animal will undergo a health evaluation before being released back into its natural habitat. While mountain lion sightings are uncommon in San Francisco, they are not unprecedented. In 2020, another young mountain lion was captured near Oracle Park and later released into the wild, according to the Associated Press.
Pacific Heights resident Roxanne Blank told SFGate she encountered the animal on the front steps of her apartment building. “At first, I thought it was a dog,” Blank said. “But then I noticed the long tail and realized it had to be something else.” She called 911 after recognizing it was a mountain lion.
“The next morning, reality really set in,” she said. “I saw the scratch marks on the ground, and it was sobering. That’s when I thought, ‘Oh wow, that was a big kitty — and those claw marks are huge.’”
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