Janine Marnien
The Pasadena Humane Society euthanized a mountain lion that had been
camping out in the backyard of a local resident and refusing to leave
even when authorities tried to scare it off.
A resident in the 5700 block of Catherwood Drive called the
Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station about 12:15 a.m. Thursday, after
spotting the lion in the backyard, Sgt. James Noennick said. Deputies
monitored the cat for several hours before officials from the
Department of Fish and Game arrived.
"It knew we were there," he said. "It just wasn't scared away by
us."
Deputies tried to scare the lion off by spraying water in its
direction. Instead of leaving, the lion went to a corner of the yard
and lay down.
Its defiance and appearance prompted the decision to put down the
cat, Pasadena Humane Society Wildlife Management Specialist Jennifer
Hodgen said.
"The fact that it would not move was an indication that there was
something wrong with the animal," she said. "It also was underweight
and underdeveloped."
The lion was about 8 months old. It weighed about 45 pounds --
about 15 to 25 pounds underweight for its age, Hodgen said. The lion
was in the backyard almost all night. Officials from the Department
of Fish and Game arrived about 8 a.m. and tranquilized the lion
before it was taken to the Pasadena Humane Society.
It was the third mountain lion sighting in the area in two weeks.
Four cougars were spotted Friday in a resident's backyard in the 5300
block of La Canada Boulevard.
Another mountain lion ran into a sliding-glass door at a residence
in the 2700 block of Starfall Drive in La Crescenta on Feb. 20. It
was apparently after the family cat it spotted through the glass.
Residents should call their local law-enforcement and
animal-control provider if they spot a mountain lion, Hodgen said. If
they are outside, they should make themselves look as big as
possible. Arms should be up in the air, and jackets should be opened.
Children should be picked up. Pet food or fallen fruit should not be
left out.
