Young mountain lion spotted near Paso Robles elementary school
–The local branch of the State Department of Fish and Wildlife received a call from the Paso Robles Police Department on Tuesday about a mountain lion at the corner of Clubhouse Drive and River Oaks Drive near Kermit King Elementary School. A person had been walking their dog when the dog began barking at the dense vegetation and brush. It is likely the dog detected the scent of the lion. The person walking the dog saw the mountain lion in the brush and alerted the police department.
When State Fish and Wildlife officials arrived in the area they determined the mountain lion to be a sub-adult, said Lt. Matthew Gil with the state agency. The lion was in dense vegetation and appeared to be bedded down for the day in an area entirely surrounded by a 6-foot tall chain-link fence. It was determined that officials would watch the lion and make sure both the public and the lion were safe throughout the day. They brought chemical immobilization drugs or tranquilizers to dart the lion in case it wanted to leave or presented an opportunity to safely remove it to a more suitable habitat.
Throughout the day the lion was sleeping on and off and stayed bedded down hidden from view which is common for them to do during daylight hours.
Although the view of the lion was partially blocked due to the vegetation it appeared to be a healthy subadult. As of 8 p.m., a Wildlife Officer and Senior Environmental Scientist remained on scene to ensure the lion would leave the area to a safer habitat of nearby greenbelts.
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