Mountain lion breaks into SF Bay Area house filled with taxidermy trophy heads
A curious mountain lion broke through the exterior glass window of a residence in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno early Tuesday.
The San Bruno Police Department said in a statement it's believed the animal was drawn into the home by several large game taxidermy trophy heads mounted on the interior walls.
The incident occurred at 12:20 a.m. in the 200 block of Ross Avenue, which is near open space that stretches from the coast in Pacifica across the peninsula to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Mountain lion sightings aren't uncommon in California. The Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions live in the state. But the San Bruno Police Department called what happened Tuesday "out of the ordinary."
The department offered tips for homeowners who live near mountain lion territory to secure their homes. The suggestions including deer-proofing your property to avoid attracting a lion’s main food source, removing dense vegetation from around the home to reduce hiding spaces, installing outdoor lighting to make it difficult for mountain lions to approach unseen, and not leaving small children or pets outside unattended.
Last Wednesday a mountain lion was captured in San Francisco after being spotted in a tree. Fish and wildlife said data collected from the puma's radio collar revealed this was the same animal spotted roaming city streets several days last week.
The mountain lion was found in a tree on Santa Marina and Mission streets on the west side of Bernal Heights. Officials darted the animal with a tranquilizer and transported it to the Oakland Zoo where it was observed before being released back into the wild.