Malnourished Mountain Lion Seen Near Ben Lomond; 2nd Sickly Cougar To Be Spotted In Area
SANTA CRUZ (CBS SF) -- A malnourished mountain lion was spotted in Ben Lomond just days after another sickly mountain lion was captured near downtown Santa Cruz, a wildlife rescue group said.
The skinny mountain lion was recorded on a stationary video camera and posted on a Facebook group page called Ben Lomond Mountain Lion Journal.
Wildlife Emergency Services spokeswoman Rebecca Dmytryk said the cougar was caught on camera near Newell Creek just north of the San Lorenzo River.
In a press release, Dmytryk said her group wants the community to keep an eye out for the mountain lion and report any sightings to them or wildlife authorities.
"Our concern is, the lion is malnourished. Desperate. A desperate cat is a dangerous cat," said Dmytryk in a press statement.
Finding a second malnourished mountain lion in the same general area raises questions about whether their condition is related to recent wildfires in the area, or possibly something in the water such as fire retardant, or exposure to rodenticides.
Dmytryk said her rescue group is sharing info with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in order to find the mountain lion, get it the help it needs and determine what may be causing the cougar's condition.