Rogue mountain lion caught after sending high school into lockdown
A mountain lion on the loose has been caught after causing panic as it was captured on video prowling around a Los Angeles high school.
Police were called to John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills at around 11:30am, with reports of a mountain lion lurking in the bushes.
The campus went into lockdown as Los Angeles wildlife officers and police tranquilised the big cat.
The cougar was sedated with a tranquiliser dart and began stumbling around in the backyard of a nearby home.
Wildlife officers then used leather restraints to bind its paws and removed it from the yard, authorities told the Los Angeles Times.
“He just wanted to get under cover after we put a dart in him,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan said.
Mr Hughan said Granada Hills was on the edge of a mountain lion habitat, but seeing one of the animals in the city during the day was unusual.
“This is not regular, but it does happen quite frequently.
He said the darting was successful and the “best-case scenario” for the animal’s welfare.
“We’re pretty experienced at this.”
The high school lockdown was lifted after the lion was transported “back into the hills” and released.
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