Ring camera catches mountain lion in front of North County home
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — An Escondido resident on Thursday sent video to FOX 5/KUSI of a surprise guest in front of her home.
The resident’s Ring camera caught a mountain lion roaming around in the front entrance of the home. The wild animal could be seen pausing for a moment, looking around and then moving away from the premises.
The mountain lion sighting wasn’t the first one in North County as another one last month was spotted by security guards while patrolling downtown Oceanside. One video shows the mountain lion sprinting around Mission Avenue.
Security cameras at Oceanside City Hall also captured the same mountain lion roaming the parking garage and the plaza area. A janitor working early morning on March 5 at Regal Cinemas also saw the lion peering through the glass doors.
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A few days later, the San Diego Humane Society told FOX 5 they received word from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife of a mountain lion that had been struck by a vehicle in Oceanside. Officials suspected the mountain lion killed was the same one seen roaming downtown.
Megan Senour, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, spoke to FOX 5/KUSI last month about how “this behavior isn’t out of the ordinary” for mountain lions.
“It’s just this is happening in more urban setting and folks are catching it on security cameras,” Senour said.
In Northern California, a 21-year-old man died while his 18-year-old brother was injured after a mountain lion attack in Georgetown, about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Wildlife experts advise residents with small animals to keep them inside, especially at night. If you spot a mountain lion, make sure to give it space and never approach or corner it.
FOX 5/KUSI’s Juliette Vara contributed to this story.
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