Palo Alto Mountain Lion Sighting: Police, Animal Services Patrolling Near Schools

PALO ALTO, CA -- UPDATED: Police, park rangers and animal services personnel spent all day Thursday patrolling Palo Alto neighborhoods near where a resident reported seeing a mountain lion and a cub Thursday morning, but said late Thursday afternoon there had been no additional reports of sightings and no signs of mountain lions were observed in the city. According to Palo Alto police, a resident in the 1700 block of Webster Street -- off Embarcadero and Middlefield roads -- saw the lion and one of its cubs in a large tree at 6:20 a.m. Thursday. The resident had gone outside because his dogs were barking, Palo Alto police Sgt. Brian Philip told Patch.

"He went back inside to get his flashlight and when he came back out, they were gone," Philip said.

Earlier Thursday, the sergeant said several officers as well as city park rangers and animal services personnel were patrolling the nearby neighborhoods because of the proximity of the sighting to several schools. Their hope is to contain the animals and return them to their natural habitat, Philip said. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was also notified, he said.

The patrol operation continued throughout the day but Philip said neither the mountain lion nor the cub have been seen since the initial sighting.

"It is a significant public safety risk having a mountain lion in a residential area like this," Philip said.

There are about five schools in the area of the sighting, the sergeant said. As a precaution earlier Thursday morning, police advised parents to drive their children to school instead of allowing them to walk or ride their bicycles. Jordan Middle School is perhaps the closest to where the mountain lion and its cub were sighted.

The Police Department was posting updates about the patrol effort on its Twitter page.

Late Thursday afternoon, police in a statement said: "We have had a heavy presence in the neighborhoods during the afternoon school commute, both to ensure the safety of our students as they returned home and to hopefully provide some peace of mind to our residents. At this point, we do not know the location of the mountain lions. Our officers will continue to remain vigilant throughout the late afternoon, evening, and overnight and will respond immediately to any additional sighting that may occur."

For any community member who sees the lion or its cub, police say to call 911.

"Don't try to stop and take a photo," Philip said. "Don't try to approach it."

Top photo: Palo Alto police patrol near Lowell Avenue after a mountain lion sighting Thursday morning. (Photo via Palo Alto Police Department)