The lion, the coyote, and the city of San Francisco
The mountain lion on the loose in San Francisco (footage from AP)
- Published
A young mountain lion caused quite a stir in San Francisco, on the US west coast this week, when it wandered into the city looking for a new home.
The two-year-old male, weighing about 77 pounds - about the same weight as a large dog - was first spotted late on Monday near the city's Lafayette Park.
More sightings were reported the next morning. Experts think he may have travelled from the southern hills along the Pacific coast, which is normal for young lions .
"What I've been told by the Department of Fish and Wildlife is this is normal for a male to leave its mother and go claim its own territory," said Mariano Elias from the San Francisco fire department.
Mountain lion found in American park. Video, 00:01:32
- Published4 December 2013
Lion makes longest-ever journey
- Published27 July 2011
Mountain lions are also called cougars, pumas, or panthers - but they're all the same animal and are native to North America and parts of South America too
City officials eventually found him wedged between buildings.
Streets were closed while animal care officers used tranquilliser darts to safely sedate the big cat.
Fast asleep, the lion was taken away to be released back into the wild.
"They're gonna do some further testing on it and make sure he's healthy and when that's, confirmed, they're going to release him to his natural habitat," Mariano Elias said.
That's a coyote!
Frances Wang from ABC7 News was on air reporting on the mountain lion when another wild visitor stepped into shot
The unusual story didn't end there. During a live TV report about the mountain lion's capture, a coyote appeared in the background.
A coyote (pronounced kai-oh-tee) is a wild dog from North America.
Reporter Frances Wang from ABC7 News was on air when the coyote calmly walked past the camera, completely unnoticed at first.
The station posted on social media: "Your eyes do not deceive you. That's a coyote strolling by during a live shot about a mountain lion!" Wang added: "This is why I love live TV. You just never know what you'll get sometimes!"
While mountain lions are rare visitors in the city, coyotes are much more common. Both are examples of San Francisco's longstanding coexistence with wildlife in the city which is surrounded by hills and forests.
