Video Footage Shows Mountain Lion Watching Kids Play in California Neighborhood

The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory

Video Footage Shows Mountain Lion Watching Kids Play in California Neighborhood

Posted 2020-09-28T08:00:00Z

A Puma Project representative says there's nothing abnormal or scary or threatening about its behavior

A California man was watching children riding their bikes in front of his house last week when he realized those children were in danger. There, in his own front yard, crouched a mountain lion focusing intently on the children.

Timothy Kerrisk, who lives in a Pacifica neighborhood, recorded the scene on his phone. He told NBC Bay Area that when he shouted for the children to leave, the mountain lion leaped over a fence into the driveway and continued to watch them.

I was terrified, Kerrisk said. I was really afraid for the kids and it was just pure adrenaline. I just came out and was like, 'No, no, no, get, get, get.' And I was just chasing it like you would like a regular cat. Luckily it turned and just kept going.

Resident Andrew Mooney was also concerned about the mountain lion's behavior.

Not even probably 20 yards away from a cat that big, he said. I mean, I've seen them around before. We have a lot of wildlife here. But never this close.

The Bay Area Puma Project has actually been tracking that particular mountain lion, which it calls a people observer, and says the public shouldn't panic.

Residents should expect to see activity from this cat here and there, but there's nothing abnormal or scary or threatening about its behavior thus far, Zara McDonald with the Puma Project said.

Kerrisk says he loves mountain lions and thinks they're beautiful, but it is a little bit different when they're in your front yard.

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