Mountain Lion Shot in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto

[RamboLiberal]

A 100-pound mountain lion romping through Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood just blocks from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse restaurant was gunned down early Tuesday, police said.

Authorities said a resident reported the big cat to Berkeley police and firefighters around 2 a.m. Tuesday near an intersection about three blocks from the University of California, Berkeley campus.

The animal ran down a street and jumped the fence into the playground of a church, said Mary Kusmiss, a police spokeswoman. The animal was later seen roaming through backyards before officers caught up with it.

Police and state wildlife officials quickly deemed the animal a threat to public safety. An officer killed it with a patrol shotgun at about 3:30 a.m., Kusmiss said.

"I've been working for Fish and Game since '97, and I've never heard of a lion in an area like this," said Pat Foy, a state game warden. "It's very unusual."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/01/national/main6826192.shtml?tag=stack

[rocktivity]

1. An exotic pet with a carless owner?

:crazy:
rocktivity

[county worker]

2. No they are native to the area.

Mostly you see them (if you see them at all) in the rural areas. Many of CA cities are near mountains that are not developed. The mountain lions live in the mountains and sometimes come into town.

[Mz Pip]

3. Not far from where I live.

We've got deer, raccoons, wild turkeys roaming the streets but this is the first time I've heard of a mountain lion coming this far into town.

Poor thing.

[WVRICK13]

4. How Sad

they should have tranquilize and relocated the big cat.