A mountain lion was spotted in the area of Vanessa Drive in San Mateo Friday morning.
San Mateo police
Residential reports of a second reported mountain lion sighting in San Mateo are now believed to be of a bobcat, although it remains the second big cat spotted in the last week.
The animal was spotted on Aug. 20 at around 6 p.m. in the backyard of a home on the 4000 block of Kingridge Drive, according to a press release from the police department. The lion went from the backyard to the parking lot of a local church before disappearing. According to San Mateo police spokesperson Jeanine Luna, the animal was later determined to be a bobcat because it has a shorter tail and is smaller. People responded to a photo posted on social media by police to say they think it’s actually a bobcat, Luna said.
“Residents think it’s ‘Bob’ the bobcat who lives up there. The neighbors know him,” Luna said. “No official expert has said it’s a bobcat, but the community has spoken.”
The first confirmed mountain lion sighting occurred at around 6 a.m. Aug. 18 in the backyard of a home on the 600 block of 16th Avenue, according to police. Several residents reported seeing the nonhostile animal on Vanessa Drive and near South Grant Street, and it appeared to be traveling along Leslie Creek. Local schools were advised to shelter in place during the search for the animal, with officers determining it was no longer in the area.
San Mateo police receive around one to two calls for mountain lions every few months, and they are usually spotted in the Laurelwood area.
Police said people should not approach a mountain lion and avoid hiking or jogging through wooded areas when mountain lions are most active during dawn, dusk and at night. Police also said if you can’t escape, face the animal, make noises, look big and throw objects to scare it away, as most mountain lions try to avoid confrontations.
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