A young mountain lion who captivated the attention of the San Franciscans in recent weeks after he was seen wandering aimlessly down Russian Hill and the Embarcadero was hit and killed by a vehicle along Highway 1 in Pacifica early in the morning. Friday.
Fish & Wildlife staff believed that the 70-pound male North American cougar (also known as a mountain lion) was between 12 and 18 months old, and possibly roaming the city in search of territory, as young male cats will. As the. But this tendency to wander makes young male mountain lions more vulnerable to tragic vehicle encounters, and about 100 of them are killed each year on California roads, according to research from the Chronicle.
This particular cat, which had been wandering SF for possibly a week before being captured on June 18 after being seen in Mission Bay by an SFPD officer, was found lifeless along the side of Highway 1 around 7:30 am today, cutting your life too short
The cat’s adventure, potentially the first after leaving his mother’s side, included an alleged attack on three marsupials at the San Francisco Zoo. A waldaroos and a red kangaroo at the Australian Walkabout exhibit were killed by a predator at the zoo the week before the mountain lion was captured in the city, and experts hypothesized that the cat had trotted along the shoreline. from the Crystal Springs and Sweeney Ridge Reservoir area in San Mateo County, which is home to several mountain lions.
After his capture, the mountain lion was taken to the Oakland Zoo for examination, and tagged by CA Fish & Wildlife, which led to today’s identification.
For all those who thought that their release in nature was a happy ending: Happy Friday in 2020!
Previously: Young Mountain Lion seen at Russian Hill and Embarcadero this week captured near Oracle Park
Photo: Priscilla du Preez
