A large mountain lion was spotted wandering around an upmarket Los Angeles suburb, prompting the lockdown of a primary school.
The adult male cougar roamed around the Brentwood area of the city, evading capture for hours, and forcing a nearby primary school to lockdown as a precaution.
Shortly after 4pm on Thursday, officials managed to tranquilise the lion while it was hiding in a wooded area near the Brentwood Country Club.
Tim Daly, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Los Angeles Times that earlier tranquiliser attempts to capture the animal didn’t “take”.
He said the lion was later “released successfully” into the “nearest suitable habitat,” but did not specify where.
The cat was first spotted around 10am on Thursday morning, prompting students at Brentwood Science Magnet school to shelter in place just before 11am.
Scientists say that cougars would tend to avoid homes and schools, and that they tend to make an appearance in urban developments because what is left of their habitat has been lost or disturbed.
It was not clear where the mountain lion had come from, but it may have come from the Santa Monica Mountains, which is near and has mountain lions.
