Mountain lion on loose in Eagle Rock*

UPDATE 2:45 P.M.: Authorities have called off the search for what they believed to be a mountain lion that made its way into backyards in Eagle Rock this morning.

Officials said they've done all the searching they can do and don't know where the animal is, what kind of animal it was or even if there was an animal running around Eagle Rock in the first place.  Capt. Wendell Bowers of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services said it was possible that the sighting involved a bobcat, a tailless animal that can weigh as much as 35 pounds. A mountain lion has a long tail and can weigh as much as 90 pounds, Bowers said.

12:45 P.M.: Authorities are trying to track down a mountain lion in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles police received a call about 8:45 a.m. reporting a mountain lion in the backyard of a house in the 5000 block of College View Avenue, said Officer Norma Eisenman.

Several animal care agencies are on the scene trying to capture the animal. It was unclear how the animal ended up there, Eisenman said.

More details as they come in.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

File Photo: Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Dana Wylie]

I live about 2 blocks from this location. There are also coyotes, skunks, raccoons, possums, etc. in the area. My wife told me she heard the lion is currently trapped in a tree and they are going to tranquilize it. First time we ever heard of a mountain lion in the area!

[Anthony Guarino]

I live next door to where the mountain lion was spotted. It most likely wandered there from the Verdugo Mountains, which are less than 1/2 of a mile away. The hill that the neighborhood is in has a large area of undeveloped land, and deer have been spotted in the area several times.

The cat was only reported to be the size of a medium sized dog, which is an adolescent mountain lion, so it was likely hungry, and looking for an easy meal.

My neighbor's cat was mauled by a large animal recently, so it was likely this big cat that did it. These animals are very territorial, and to even see one in a lifetime is a lucky chance. I saw one at Gold Creek in Little Tujunga Canyon two years ago. It was also the size of a medium sized dog. I thought it to be a bobcat at first.