A mountain lion seen in a far west neighborhood in Summerlin has been reassured and is returning to the mountains of the Spring Mountains, authorities said.
“It will be launched; it is on its way right now,” Doug Nielsen, a spokesman for the Department of Wildlife’s southern Nevada division, said about 2:40 pm
Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Ken Nogle confirmed around 2 p.m. that the mountain lion had been reassured and was being removed from the residential area near Vassiliadis Elementary School, 215 Antelope Ridge Drive, where it was reported by First time to the police around 5:50 am on Saturday. .
Nielsen said the big cat will be released somewhere in the Spring Mountain Range, which includes the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area and Mount Charleston.
He said he was not surprised that the mountain lion was seen in the new development near Red Rock Canyon.
“Is it surprising that there is a lion there? No, ”said Nielsen. “There will be a lot of wildlife there.”
Earlier Saturday, officers were called to school and watching the cat as they waited for Las Vegas Animal Control to arrive. But before they could, officers “lost sight of the lion,” Nogle said Saturday morning.
Once seen again on Saturday afternoon, Summerlin residents turned to Twitter and Facebook to post videos and images. Nogle said he was on a trail behind the school, but occasionally wandered near Alta Drive and caused traffic closures.
He said officers who saw the cat on Saturday morning noted that it “was not acting aggressively.”
In the Summerlin neighborhood on Saturday afternoon, Lt. Michelle Tavarez said officers were able to restrain the cat in a backyard while awaiting the arrival of Department of Wildlife officials. While police on Saturday estimated the mountain lion weighed about 70 pounds, Tavarez said it weighed about 110.
“It was hot and he was tired,” Tavarez said of the cat’s behavior during the afternoon. “We kept it contained and we kept it in the backyard.”
Mountain lions can be found throughout Nevada, although most people will never see the “pretty elusive creatures,” Nielsen said in a phone interview shortly after the big cat calmed down.
He said cats are not seen frequently in the Las Vegas valley, “but it is not uncommon.” Mountain lions are mostly found at higher elevations where they hunt larger animals, but they can roam the valley when sick, foraging, or trying to find new territory.
If you ever run into a mountain lion while walking or in a Summerlin neighborhood, Nielsen said, avoid the need to run away, which will cause the cat to chase. Instead, slowly back away while trying to look big and speak in a calm, firm voice.
Nielsen said experts estimate that 2,500 to 3,500 mountain lions live in Nevada, and the more developments that develop, the more humans will encounter the animals. She said it’s important for those who live near the Mount Charleston or Red Rock Canyon areas to make sure that cats don’t have access to food that attracts them to people.
He said that people should realize that “when you come to the Mohave desert, we have wildlife.”
Contact Katelyn Newberg at [email protected] or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
