Mountain Lion Caught After 6-Hour Standoff
Animal Took Refuge In Garage
POSTED: 10:20 am PDT June 4,
2004
UPDATED: 10:33 am PDT June 4,
2004
GONZALES, Calif. -- A mountain lion was safely caught and
returned to the wild after holing up in a garage for nearly six
hours Thursday.
IMAGES: Deadly Mountain Lion Attack In January
Tracking Mountain Lions
VOTE: Should Mountain Lions Be Protected Species?
DISCUSSION: Mountain Lions In Southern California
The animal was chased into the garage in Monterey County at around 2:30 p.m. and was caught in there until about 8:20 p.m.
State Department of Fish and Game officials got to the scene,
drilled two holes in the garage and waited for a clear shot before
shooting the mountain lion with a tranquillizer dart. It took hours for the firefighters and police officers to lure
the big cat into an open space. Finally, wildlife biologist Jeff
Cann hit the mountain lion on its back with his second shot. Several minutes later, officials bound and tagged the mountain
lion and doused it with water to bring its temperature down. "When the cats are down, they lose their ability to regulate
their temperature," Cann told The Californian of Salinas. The National Park Service agreed to receive the animal at
Pinnacles National Monument, where it was to be released Thursday
night. Last month, a mountain lion roaming the streets of Palo Alto was
shot to death, after officials determined it posed a public threat. Two mountain lions were shot in January after a big cat attacked two mountain bikers in Orange County, killing one of them. Previous Stories:
IMAGES: Deadly Mountain Lion Attack In JanuaryThe animal was chased into the garage in Monterey County at around 2:30 p.m. and was caught in there until about 8:20 p.m.
- May 17, 2004: Cops Kill Cougar In Residential Neighborhood
- May 10, 2004: Mountain Lion Tried To Rip Her Face Off, Says Victim
- April 28, 2004: Hikers Warned After Northern California Lion Attack
- April 27, 2004: Mountain Lion Encounter Prompts SoCal Park Closure
- March 8, 2004: Cougar Spotted Near Homes
- February 28, 2004: Mountain Lion Killed After Stalking Man Near School
- January 19, 2004: Study: Mountain Lions Lurk Close To Humans
- January 9, 2004: Gory Details Released About Fatal Lion Attack
- January 9, 2004: Mountain Lion Shot After Fatal Attack
Copyright 2004 by NBCSandiego.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.








