Mountain Lion Spotted In San Mateo Neighborhood

SAN MATEO, CA — A mountain lion was spotted in a San Mateo residential neighborhood on Wednesday morning, according to the San Mateo Police Department.

A resident saw the mountain lion standing near a recently-killed raccoon in the backyard of a home in the 500 block of Bucknell Drive, according to police. It then jumped on top of a fence and ran towards Colgate Avenue after seeing the resident.

The mountain lion was described as the size of large dog and didn't behave aggressively toward the resident, according to police.

Police issued an alert as a caution to San Mateo residents Wednesday afternoon, and shared the following safety tips:

• Do not feed deer. It is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions. 
• DO NOT APPROACH a mountain lion if seen, especially one that is feeding or with offspring. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation. 
• Keep a close watch on small children when hiking or traveling in or about wooded areas. 
• Do not run if you encounter a mountain lion. Instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects; pick up small children.