Mountain Lion Killed in Downtown Santa Monica

[Mark E. Hurling]

Just when you think it can't get any stranger out here on the left coast:

Officers Open Fire on Mountain Lion in Downtown Santa Monica
Patrick Healy

A mountain lion spotted in Santa Monica was fatally shot after a tranquiler dart prompted the animal to flee. Police have since released a photo of the cougar, and video provided courtesy parkme.com captured the shooting. NBC4's Patrick Healy reports for the NBC4 News at Noon on May 22, 2012.

A mountain lion cornered in a downtown Santa Monica courtyard bolted after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, prompting authorities to use lethal force Tuesday morning, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

"We were able to get a dart in the lion. At that point, the lion was making its way out into the street and then we really have to be concerned about public safety at that point," said Capt. Daniel Sforza of the California Department of Fish and Game.

Sforza described the incident as "very unusual," adding a necropsy is planned.

A janitor first spotted the cougar in the 6 o'clock hour in the courtyard of a building located at 1227 Second St., between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, said Santa Monica police.

The male, 3-year-old mountain lion -- estimated to weigh 80 pounds -- apparently jumped over an eight-foot fence to enter the courtyard area.

Second Street was closed as Fish and Game agents attempted to remove the animal.

It was fatally shot around 9:15 a.m. as it tried to escape the courtyard.

"Officers deployed a shotgun as well as a rifle, and the animal unfortunately was euthanized and died at the scene," said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Robert Almada said.

Santa Monica police released a photo (embedded, right) of the mountain lion taken before the animal was killed.

"With the Santa Monica Mountains nearby, we see all kinds of critters," said Lt. Calisse Lindsey Santa, of the Santa Monica Police Department. "Raccoons, deer -- it's amazing what I've seen in last few years. It happens, but never a mountain lion in a building." http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...152579715.html

[PressesPeople]

I saw that article, and I'm convinced it was a pet.

[Miro]

Wild mountain lions, or pumas, as we call them, are said to be rather curious. Which falls perfectly into line with the saying "curiosity killed the cat".

[Dastardly]

Man, your cops are so trigger happy.

[Gerald Boggs]

Sad, but a "must see" movie.

http://www.theelephantinthelivingroom.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ele...he_Living_Room

Sadly, there are thousands of "pet" big cats in america.

[Miro]

Shame they don't sell it in Europe. Would love to watch it. Does the DVD have subtitles?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Man, your cops are so trigger happy.

They tried tranquilizer darts and the puma kept going. This was down-fucking-town in broad daylight with people all over the place. Call Her Majesties' Royal SPCA and the World Court in Brussels and report those cruel bastards then. I refrained from calling this what most of the rest of SoCal refers to the city as the People's Republic of Santa Monica. The city and their cops are so PC it's a miracle anyone gets protected there. Except from having their feelings hurt.

As for it being a pet? It may seem odd, but the Santa Monica Mountains are very close. There have been unconfirmed (meaning no one official in Fish and Wildlife saw them) puma sightings on the Palos Verdes peninsula which is 2 miles from where I live. You can see coyotes anywehre and everywhere in LA and the metropolitan area. Even right downtown.

[Drewcar]

They tried tranquilizer darts and the puma kept going. This was down-fucking-town in broad daylight with people all over the place. Call Her Majesties' Royal SPCA and the World Court in Brussels and report those cruel bastards then. I refrained from calling this what most of the rest of SoCal refers to the city as the People's Republic of Santa Monica. The city and their cops are so PC it's a miracle anyone gets protected there. Except from having their feelings hurt.

As for it being a pet? It may seem odd, but the Santa Monica Mountains are very close. There have been unconfirmed (meaning no one official in Fish and Wildlife saw them) puma sightings on the Palos Verdes peninsula which is 2 miles from where I live. You can see coyotes anywehre and everywhere in LA and the metropolitan area. Even right downtown.

I've been doing fieldwork in wildland areas for 19 years and have only seen 2 cougars in that entire time. I have no doubt they've seen me plenty of times.

Palos Verdes probably has an abundant top shelf food supply for them (i.e., pets), and seems to have more of a suitable habitat component - although far from ideal - than many parts of LA.

[Dastardly]

They tried tranquilizer darts and the puma kept going.

Sounds like they just bodged the whole operation. Even from the one still image it looks so easy to hit with darts, multiples of them!

[veryhrm]

EDIT: uncharacteristically deleting my post because... whatever; never mind.

But some more descriptive stories of how it went down:
http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/...news/news5.txt
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,7045701.story