Mountain Lion Captured in Posh San Francisco Neighborhood

The 77-pound male cougar was tranquilized and taken to the San Francisco Zoo for evaluation before being released back into the wild.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:07pm by Ben Kaplan

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A 77-pound mountain lion wandered through the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco on Tuesday, prompting a scramble by dozens of officials to capture and tranquilize the wild cat. The male cougar, which had previously been spotted in the area the day before, was eventually subdued and taken to the San Francisco Zoo for examination before being released back into the wild.

Why it matters

Mountain lion sightings in San Francisco are extremely rare, with the city's urban landscape typically home to coyotes rather than larger predators. This incident highlights the increasing overlap between wildlife habitats and densely populated human areas, raising awareness about coexisting safely with these powerful felines.

The details

The mountain lion was first spotted on Monday morning by a resident who saw the animal calmly walking down the street and up the steps of her apartment building. On Tuesday, the 2-year-old male cougar was found hiding in a garden between two apartment buildings, where authorities shot it with tranquilizers three times to ensure it was fully sedated before capturing it. Veterinarians at the San Francisco Zoo then examined the cat before it was placed in a cage to undergo further testing to confirm its health prior to being released back into the wild.

  • The mountain lion was first spotted on Monday morning around 3 a.m.
  • The animal was captured on Tuesday in the Pacific Heights neighborhood.

The players

Roxanne Blank

A resident who saw the mountain lion on Monday morning and recorded video of the animal.

Madrey Hilton

A resident who took video of the mountain lion on Monday morning and alerted authorities.

San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elias

A firefighter who oversaw the capture of the mountain lion on Tuesday.

San Francisco Zoo

The zoo's veterinarians examined the mountain lion after it was captured.

Carlos Almendarez

A resident who lives across the street from where the mountain lion was captured and is from Los Angeles, where mountain lions are more common.

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What they’re saying

“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!'”

— Roxanne Blank

“We were just staring at each other, but I felt really calm, and I felt like maybe the mountain lion was calm. I just stood there in awe of like, 'Oh, my God, I can't believe this is happening to me.'”

— Roxanne Blank

“In LA, mountain lions are local celebrities. Here I've seen coyotes right in front of the building, in the park, on the sidewalk, but I had never heard of mountain lions.”

— Carlos Almendarez

What’s next

The mountain lion will undergo further testing at the San Francisco Zoo to ensure it is healthy before being released back into the wild.

The takeaway

This rare mountain lion sighting in San Francisco's urban landscape serves as a reminder of the need for increased awareness and coexistence strategies as wildlife habitats continue to overlap with densely populated human areas.