A mountain lion killed a family’s pit bull in Los Angeles, California, according to officials.
The mountain lion was first seen at around 5 a.m. on Saturday near the Oakridge mobile home park by Foothill Blvd. and Glenoaks Blvd. in the Sylmar neighborhood, Fox 11 reported.
Officials issued a “wildlife warning” for the San Fernando Valley following the incident, according to the outlet.
One resident, Rey Constante, was returning home when he noticed the mountain lion on top of a gray pit bull with a leash still attached.
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“Huge mountain lion just killed our neighbors dog, I’m worried about the owners since the dog still had a leash on it, beautiful pit bull now dead,” Constante wrote on Facebook. “Oakridge residents, do not walk your pets at night, this animal is still roaming around untagged waiting for the next victim.”
“He looked up and growled at me … and I said ‘wow’ … I was startled,” he told Fox 11.
A person in another vehicle honked the horn and scared the mountain lion away, according to the outlet.
The dog, five-year-old Gigi, had recently been adopted from the Southern California Pit Bull Rescue, which is preserving the dog’s remains to hand over to California Fish and Wildlife for its investigation, according to Fox 11.
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“Sylmar neighbors – as we know living in this wonderful community, we are cohabitating with an abundance of wildlife. Coyotes, raccoons, opossums, the occasional bear, and lately a fairly large mountain lion. (Perhaps a couple of them,” the Sylmar neighborhood council wrote on its website.
Officials are urging residents to take the proper precautions to protect themselves, including not jogging or hiking alone and by keeping children close, according to National Park Service guidance.
If a mountain lion is spotted, residents are told to not approach the animal, not to run from it and to not bend down or crouch. The residents should try to appear larger by raising their arms and should fight back if attacked, the guidance said.
