Alturas Mountain Lion Captured, Returned to the Wild
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today successfully captured a young, female mountain lion within the city limits of Alturas, Modoc County, and safely returned the animal to suitable wild habitat.
The healthy yearling female, estimated between 50 to 60 pounds, was darted with a tranquilizer gun after being treed on the edge of the city Thursday morning. The lion was first spotted in Alturas around a chicken coop in a residential backyard Tuesday before being scared off. The lion returned to the chicken coop on Wednesday and was spotted elsewhere around the rural community.