Northern California Park Evacuated As Cougar Lounges In Tree
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Northern California deputies evacuated several hundred children from a park after a mountain lion growled at kids and ran up a tree.
The Mercury News reports Monday that Santa Clara County deputies and state fish and wildlife experts decided against tranquilizing and relocating the animal.
Instead, they waited throughout Saturday for the mountain lion to come down the tree and leave on its own, which it did when night fell. The cougar had parked itself in a tree near a residential neighborhood.
Santa Clara Sheriff's Captain Rick Sung said it is rare for a mountain lion to display aggression.
The incident comes a week after a Cincinnati zoo sparked national outrage by killing a gorilla after a 3-year-old boy fell into its enclosure.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.