A male mountain lion was spotted walking down Coast Highway in Laguna Beach early Monday morning.
Laguna Beach police received reports around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday that a male mountain lion was spotted near Catalina and Calliope Streets. The cat was then seen by police officers in the 600 block of S. Coast Hwy between Cleo and Legion Streets at about 1:30 a.m.
In all sightings, the cougar has exhibited an appropriate fear of humans, officials said Monday. Since April 25, the radio-collared animal has been in the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.
The radio-collared cat was the first confirmed report of its species in the Laguna Greenbelt in about 20 years, experts said.
Kent Kelley, owner of vintage clothing retailer Cherry Moon Shop at 652 S. Coast Hwy., was being interviewed about the wildlife sighting by a television news crew when a reporter called Monday afternoon. He had not yet seen the photos of a big cat walking by his storefront.
“Sounds like a real drama,” Kelley said.
Are you sure it wasn’t a cougar? Because of the epidemic from Covid I’ve seen more feral felines looking for their mates early in the morning.