Mountain lion roaming posh San Francisco neighborhood captured

San Francisco (AP) — A 77-pound mountain lion set off a scramble last week as it wandered through San Francisco’s wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood before finally being captured as onlookers safely peered from their home windows or stood across the street.

Dozens of officials worked to capture and tranquilize the male cat after warnings were issued advising people to slowly back away if they encountered it.

Roxanne Blank was being dropped off outside her home around 3 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26 when she saw the big cat nonchalantly walking down the streets and going up her apartment stoop, about half a mile from where the animal was caught the next day.

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“I thought it was a dog at first, but then I saw the tail and realized that it’s not a dog. Then it tripped the light sensor, and that’s when I saw its face and was like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s a mountain lion!’” Blank said.

She said she calmly pulled out her phone and began recording as the mountain lion “locked eyes” with her for over five minutes.

A few minutes later, the wild cat began walking down the stairs and took off running when Blank’s dog started barking from inside her apartment, Blank said. She then called 911.