Puma Removed From NorCal Office Park After Being Shot With 4 Tranquilizers
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) — Police and animal control officers had to administer four tranquilizer darts to knock out a mountain lion that wandered into a business park in Pleasanton Monday afternoon.
The lion, later identified by authorities as a puma, was first spotted by a landscaper.
The lion was "hunkered down" in the bushes in a parking lot on the 3800 block of Hopyard Road in Pleasanton. The busy location is across the street from a residential neighborhood and close to Hart Middle and Donlon Elementary schools.
Pleasanton Police and officers from the state Department of Fish & Wildlife were on hand. The full-grown mountain lion was hiding in the bushes while authorities prepared to tranquilize it.
An animal control officer shot the mountain lion with a tranquilizing dart about 6:46 p.m. A police spokesman said officers were standing by waiting for the drug to take effect and keeping people away in case the lion made a break for it.
Curious onlookers were told to get in their cars in case the puma tried to take off before the tranquilizer started taking affect.
Officers were standing by with less lethal bean bag shotgun in case the mountain lion became active.
Shortly after the initial tranquilizer shot, Pleasanton police tweeted that another one was needed.
About 30 minutes later, a third tranquilizer was given to the big cat.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Department was assisting with a UAV camera attached to a drone as authorities continued monitoring the mountain lion.
In the end, it took four tranquilizers to render the mountain lion unconscious.
Authorities said the puma was a healthy young male approximately 9-12 months old.
Hopyard Road, a major north-south roadway crossing Pleasanton was closed in both directions for hours because of the mountain lion, police said.
Once Department of Fish and Wildlife officials determine the puma is healthy, they will return it to a natural habitat, likely somewhere in Stanislaus County.
