San Mateo County, even the part of it that is home to humans, is mountain lion country.
The California Department of Fish and Game had to be called out after a driver spotted a mountain lion running in a residential neighborhood in San Mateo on Tuesday.
The driver saw the lion running near 31st Avenue and Fair Oaks Court near Hillsdale and Highway 92. The animal then jumped into a backyard.
By the time fish and game officers arrived the lion had disappeared.
A broad daylight sighting of the carnivorous cat in the area is unusual, San Mateo police Lt. Mike Brunicardi said said.
"To have a sighting at this time of day, right before 1 p.m., is extremely rare," Brunicardi said. "The last sightings we had in San Mateo in the first week of October were at dawn or dusk or in middle of the night, which is when they're normally out and active."
San Mateo police said it is a warning to never leave pet food outside your home and install motion detector lights.
An alert was sent out to residents via telephone, Brunicardi said.
The last reported mountain lion sightings were in the northwest region of the city in early October.
The hilly, open space areas of San Mateo County are known as mountain lion habitats, and mountain lions generally exist where deer are found, Brunicardi said.
Residents are advised to take extra precautions when outside, including avoiding feeding deer, installing motion-sensitive lighting and avoiding leaving pet food or bowls of water outside.
If confronted by a mountain lion, residents should not run or turn their backs on the animal. They should make eye contact but not squat down; make noise and appear as large as possible; and throw objects at the animal or fight back if it attacks.
Copyright Bay City News / NBC Bay Area
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