Mountain lion spotted in Pasadena backyard near schools, park

An adult mountain lion weighing about 100 pounds was captured on security camera video in a Pasadena residential backyard Wednesday afternoon, prompting an animal control response in a neighborhood near two schools and a park, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The encounter on Orange Grove Boulevard — far from the foothills where mountain lions typically roam — highlights the potential for urban wildlife interactions across the greater Los Angeles region, a concern shared by communities throughout Southern California including neighboring Orange County.

The mountain lion appeared Wednesday afternoon in the backyard of a home along Orange Grove Boulevard near Craig Avenue, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Animal control officers responded, confirmed the animal was an adult, and estimated its weight at roughly 100 pounds. The lion retreated into nearby bushes and could not be located when officials returned the following morning.

The homeowner described a disorienting moment when the animal first appeared. "All of a sudden, my husband goes, what is that? It went into the bushes, and it just didn't move at all. We were still trying to process. It's something you don't think is ever gonna happen to you. It was like a movie or something," she said.

Animal control officers told the homeowner the sighting was highly out of the ordinary for the area. "I was like is this unusual? Am I like crazy for thinking that? And they were like no very unusual. We don't get these calls like this especially in this area," the homeowner said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The homeowner later reflected on how close her family had come to the animal. "I feel really lucky because my daughter was out there the day before by herself playing for an hour and our dog goes out there every day. Something I never thought I'd experience," she said.

Neighbor Alex Maddox reacted with alarm after viewing the security camera footage. "Oh my god there it is. Right there. That's really scary," Maddox said. Another neighbor, Brandon Brownell, took a more measured view. "It was a little bit of a surprise for sure. But not too much for us. We know these animals have been here before us," Brownell said.

Mountain lions are native to California and typically range through foothill and mountainous terrain. The Pasadena sighting is notable for occurring in a densely populated residential area not typically associated with such wildlife activity, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Animal control authorities were unable to locate the mountain lion when they returned the following morning, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. The incident resulted in no injuries to residents or pets.