Mountain lion spotted in downtown Oceanside suspected dead

Amber Coakley
·2 min read
3

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A mountain lion seen strolling through downtown Oceanside earlier this week is suspected to be dead.

The animal was caught on surveillance footage roaming through the local parking garage and the plaza area Tuesday.

A janitor at the downtown Regal Cinemas also spotted the mountain lion peering through the glass doors of the building after hours.

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On Saturday morning, officials from the San Diego Humane Society told FOX 5 that they got word from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) of a mountain lion that had been struck by a vehicle in Oceanside Friday night.

“Unfortunately, it was deceased by the time the police arrived,” the humane society official stated. “CDFW suspects it’s the Oceanside cat that we’ve been following.”

Lt. Michael Provence with the Oceanside Police Department confirmed the traffic collision took place around 7:25 p.m. in the area of North River Road and Wilshire Road. Only one vehicle was involved and no injuries were reported.

Though it’s not definitively confirmed that this is the same mountain lion seen in the area just days ago, the Mountain Lion Foundation said that these creatures do tend to linger or repeatedly return to urban areas.

FOX 5 reached out to CDFW for comment on this matter and Tim Daly, an information officer for the South Coast Region, confirmed a mountain lion was struck and killed in North County Friday night.

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When asked if this is believed to be the same one, Tim said, “We don’t know at this time, and it’s likely will never know if this is the same lion that was spotted in Oceanside during the week. It’s possible since we were hoping the lion would head back to suitable habitat.”

CDFW also confirmed that the killed animal was a younger male that was likely a “disperser,” meaning he was probably making movements away from his natal home ranges to seek territory of his own. CDFW said this is common during this time of the year.

With many residents now on high alert, the Oceanside Police Department has encouraged locals to report any mountain lion sightings by calling their non-emergency line at 760-435-4911.

Video Below: Residents react to Mountain Lion sighting in downtown Oceanside

“We would just ask that if folks continue to have sightings that they make reports, so that we can monitor the situation,” CDFW stated.

FOX 5 recently spoke with a wildlife expert who explained what to do if you encounter a mountain lion. This is what he suggested:

FOX 5’s Juliette Vara contributed to this report.

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