Mountain lion hit and killed near La Mesa – NBC 7 San Diego

A mountain lion was struck and killed on Interstate 8 near La Mesa Tuesday morning. It is the second time in the last three months that a mountain lion has been killed on a local road.

In March, Oceanside neighbors reported seeing a mountain lion peering through the window of a movie theater. Later that week, a mountain lion was struck and killed by a car.

The mountain lion found near La Mesa was so large that the driver who passed through it was mistaken for a deer.

“I hate to see this because we are actually in their territory,” said Cheyenne Cook, who grew up in La Mesa.

According to Andy Blue of the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, collisions with vehicles are the leading cause of death among mountain lions.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that the mountain lion was between 3 and 5 years old. The animal was not collared or tagged and may have come from the Scripps Ranch area or Mission Trails in search of food.

“It’s not unusual to see them in these different places, and it’s always the same cat,” Blue said. “They travel a lot of distance – 10 to 12 miles a day.”

Half of the state is considered mountain lion habitat, but it’s still rare to see or interact with them. Blue said this shows the lengths mountain lions will go to avoid humans.

“We just have to remember that we’re in these beautiful areas of San Diego County that offer so many opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, climbing and everything that we enjoy,” he said. “We’re in their neighborhood and in their territory.”

A mountain lion that was hit by a car in San Luis Obispo and rehabilitated in Ramona is now back home in the wild.

If someone ventures into an area with mountain lions, the Humane Society recommends walking in a group and making noise to avoid surprise encounters.

Do not let your pets go into the garden alone at home and keep them on a leash when walking.

“I’m concerned about it, but as a pet owner, especially as an owner of a smaller dog, I think it’s just something you have to be aware of when you live in an area like this,” Cook said.

Especially if you live in rural areas, you should not feed your pets outdoors as this attracts many animals that are then hunted by coyotes and mountain lions.

California Fish and Wildlife recovered the lion for a necropsy — similar to a post-mortem — to learn more about its age and genetics. The public can also report sightings or concerns to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.