A California family set up a trap to catch whatever was killing their pets and livestock. They assumed the predator was a coyote, so it came as quite a surprise when the family found a mountain lion in the trap instead.

Fox5sandiego.com reports the big cat had killed the Hernandez family’s chickens and pet cats on their Fallbrook property.

“There was a big hole on the rooftop and there were chickens missing and there were feathers all over the place,” said Sonia Hernandez.

Hernandez said her mother-in-law was especially upset about the missing cats.

“She was going to have babies soon,” Hernandez said about one of the cats.

To catch the culprit, Hernandez’s father-in-law built a cage trap and set it on the property.

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When Hernandez’s husband went outside to check the trap one night, he was quite surprised to find a mountain lion calmly lying inside.

“So, he woke everybody up, and we got up, and we were all surprised how big it was and how it looked,” Hernandez said.

She said she immediately worried about her three children, ages 5 to 9.

Hernandez called 911 and the next morning, state wildlife officials, including a warden, arrived at the home. The family was quite surprised and frustrated when the officials released the cougar and it ran off. The family assumed the wild cat would be relocated far from their rural neighborhood.

“We weren’t really happy about that because of our children and animals,” Hernandez said.

Some neighbors voiced similar concerns. Horse owner Jeanette Villegas said she worries the mountain lion could return. “Releasing that animal knowing it has a food source, I believe it may come back,” Villegas said. “And I walk the property in the evening to check on my animals, and who knows if it’s watching me. It could be lurking behind a building, a bush, anything.”

Although she disagrees with the decision to release the lion, Hernandez said she understands that wildlife officials must follow protocol.

“The way they explained it to us, hopefully he doesn’t, but we do have that fear it will come back,” she said.

California state law requires that any mountain lion that is privately trapped must be released in the same general area where it was captured.