Sentinel staff report–
Citrus Heights police on Thursday said additional reports of a mountain lion in the area of Verner Avenue were received around 2 a.m. on June 17, coming on the heels of a confirmed sighting on Sunday in the same area.
“Last night around (2 a.m.) several people called 911 to report a mountain lion was spotted again in the parking lot of the apartment complex on Verner Ave and the neighborhood of Goldenwood and Verner,” Police Lt. Michael Wells told The Sentinel. “Officers responded and could not locate it after an extensive area check. Fish and Game was contacted and given updates on the new sighting.”
The first report of the cat was made Sunday, June 13, with responding officers observing a mountain lion in the tree of a residence in the area of Verner Avenue. Police notified the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, but the animal fled into the nearby East Lawn Cemetery.
According to a report on Monday by Fox40, a family who called police about the first sighting said the cat was seen perched in a redwood tree around 2 a.m. Sunday. The neighborhood reportedly has plenty of room for a mountain lion to roam, along with wild turkeys for food.
A captain with the Department of Fish and Wildlife told the television station that residents in the nearby area should keep pets indoors and no leave pet food outside at night. Active hours for the animal are dawn, dusk and at night.
Residents are asked by police to report additional sightings to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, or to call 911 if threatened by the mountain lion.
