Two Mountain Lion Sightings In Mother Lode

Mountain lion recently sighted in the Phoenix Lake area of Tuolumne County

Sonora, CA – There have been two recent sightings of mountain lions in both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, and one resulted in a pet going missing.

The first big cat sighting was along Phoenix Lake Road and Bellview Creek Road. A resident captured the video shown in the image box of a cougar investigating the camera and then walking away during the night. The resident who emailed Clarke Broadcasting this footage reported that a pet cat went missing about three weeks ago, and they believe that the mountain lion got it.

In Murphys, there was a report of several sightings of a mountain lion at the Murphys Diggins Mobile Home Park, off Highway 4. The cougar was mostly seen on Rattle Snake Drive and Black Bart Boulevard. The staff notified residents through email that a “county trapper has been called and viewed camera footage and paw prints.” They added that the trapper had contacted fish and wildlife services about using a catch-and-release approach to deal with the problem.

The email ended by reminding residents to “please keep your cats indoors, do not place any food for outdoor or feral cats, and stop feeding squirrels. The mountain lion has been feasting on squirrels.”

Residents were also warned to walk the trails in the area in twos or groups and to be especially careful in the early morning hours when taking pets out, as the big cat has been seen as late as 6:30 a.m.