California Homeowner Shocked to Find Mountain Lion 'Playing' With Her Pet Dog
Mountain lions aren't exactly an uncommon sight in California. There are thousands of the feline predators across the Golden State, and as a result, they sometimes appear in neighborhoods and other places you wouldn't expect them.
One woman in Morada, CA saw just what it was like to have a mountain lion in your backyard. Sandy Ali was hosting some people in her home on Aug. 12 when one of her guests spotted something out back.
“I was having a Bible study in our rec room," Ali recounted to KCRA. "My friend looked out and said, ‘Oh, your dogs are playing’ and I said, ‘I only have one dog.'"
It turns out that one of the "dogs" her friend saw was actually a grown mountain lion. Home camera footage showed her dog Rocco chasing the feline around the yard before it disappeared off-camera.
BIG CAT! Coming up on @kcranews at 10&11, we talked with the woman whose family dog chased a mountain lion through their yard this weekend.
"My friend looked out and said, 'Oh your dogs are playing' and I said, 'I only have one dog.'"
📷: Sandy Ali pic.twitter.com/lI9yyFLzgx— KCRA Lee Anne Denyer (@KCRALeeAnne) August 13, 2023
Ali told KCRA that she's lived in the area outside Stockton for years but has never seen a mountain lion near her home. When she went outside to investigate what was happening, the big cat made a fast escape.
“It’s really beautiful,” she marveled. “It just, in one leap, was up in the tree so quickly.”
She called 911 while the cat was still on her property to try and get it removed. First responders from multiple agencies weren't able to trap it, and after several hours of the cat camping out in the tree, she said it appeared that authorities tried to tranquilize the predator. Still, the cougar was able to jump from the tree into a nearby field and run away.
The incident serves as another reminder in a post-Tiger King world that big cats don't exactly make for friendly pets.
