A mountain lion was spotted early Wednesday morning in a Milpitas residential neighborhood, and a second sighting was reported later in the day, according to a social post from the police department.
At about 2 a.m., a mountain lion was seen at the Friendly Village Mobile Home Park in the 120 block of Dixon Landing Road, police said. The big cat was captured on Ring camera video on the west side of the complex near the BART tracks.
Milpitas police officers canvassed the area and deployed drones but did not find the animal.
Hai Phi's security cameras caught the large cat as it hung out next to his phone. Phi said he's now worried about his mom's safety.
"I talked to my mom, 'Mom, don't go outside to do something," Phi said.
Other neighbors in the complex said they couldn't believe a mountain lion was roaming the area as they slept.
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"I'm shocked," Truong Huynh said. "You might see a coyote, right? But not a mountain lion."
Later Wednesday, police reported a second mountain lion sighting that occurred at about 4:30 a.m. in the area of Fairmeadow Way, about 2.5 to 3 miles south of the first sighting. Another security video captured a big cat leaping a side fence into or out of a backyard.
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It was not clear if it was the same cougar in both sightings.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife and Vector Control were notified, police said.
Steve Gonzalez, an Information Officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that such sightings are more of a sign of a time rather than a trend — in other words, it was likely more about cameras than about the cats themselves.
"A yard that a mountain lion maybe 25 years ago crossed in the middle of the night, no one would ever know," Gonzalez said. "Today, we'll capture it on video."
Police advised residents in and around the area to be alert of their surroundings, keep small pets indoors and keep all pets on a leash when out on a walk.
Anyone who sees a mountain lion should not approach it and should call 911. Running also is not recommended, police said.
