Wildlife and law enforcement officers spent several hours observing and tracking a mountain lion who made its way through residential and business areas in Camarillo before it was captured Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s Capt. Cyrus Zadeh said a homeowner in the 2400 block of Lomita Street called the dispatch center shortly before 9 a.m. to report that a mountain lion was in their backyard. Zadeh said deputies were dispatched to the home, where they spotted the mountain lion in the backyard resting under a playground set.
The deputies kept an eye on the cougar as they waited for Ventura County Animal Services, who then took over the incident and requested assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Zadeh said it was shortly before 1 p.m. when deputies were called to assist after a fish and game warden tried to tranquilize the big cat. The officer had fired a dart — but missed. And the wildcat took to its heels.
“It did run through residential and business areas and jumped on the rooftops,” Zadeh said.
He said the Sheriff’s Department provided traffic control while animal services and fish and game officers tracked the mountain lion for at least an hour.
Zadeh said the cat eventually came to rest in the 2500 block of Pheasant Hill Road, where a second tranquilizer dart was shot, and this one hit its mark. The wildcat was captured around 2 p.m., and Zadeh said it would likely be returned to the wild.
Although rare, mountain lions have managed to make their way into Camarillo’s neighborhoods before.
Two years ago in February, a mountain lion was spotted at Pleasant Valley and Pancho roads. The wildcat was caught on a resident’s home surveillance camera. That incident, however, did not require the assistance of fish and game wardens.
Zadeh said it was unclear if Wednesday’s mountain lion is the same as the one from two years ago or if the animal had a tracker.
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