A pair of mountain lions were seen early Wednesday morning in the backyard of a San Mateo home attacking a deer, a resident reported to police, and the police department issued an advisory.
At about 1:05 a.m., a resident called police and told them he saw the cougars attacking the deer in his backyard, in the 3700 block of East Laurel Creek Drive, bordering Laurelwood Park, the police department said.
“I was shocked because we’ve been here for so long time but we’ve never had a problem,” said Paris Maboudi, who lives just up the hill from Laurel Creek Drive.
Officers responded to the scene and called additional resources.
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The resident reportedly used a flashlight to scare off the mountain lions, and they fled up a hill bordering the house, police said. The deer died.
“I think it’s very scary. Honestly I don’t feel comfortable coming on the deck and spending time up here anymore by myself alone,” said Maboudi.
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When officers arrived, they saw one mountain lion hiding in the brush about 50 yards up the hill, and they heard rustling next to it, making them believe both cougars were still there, police said.
Per protocol, the officers did not harm the wild animals as they didn't pose an immediate threat to the public, police said. A request for an air unit, Fish and Wildlife experts or any other mountain lion expert were denied.
The SPCA removed the deer from the scene.
“That's pretty crazy to hear. We haven’t heard about many mountain lion sightings around these parts, but if you think about it, it’s not terribly surprising,” said Quincy McKnown, who lives nearby. “We’re up next to this beautiful park, a lot of nature around us.”
The drought has limited the food of predators in the wild and since their prey is coming closer to developments, so are the lions.
“I hope they’re going to solve the problem before anyone gets injured,” said Maboudi.
