San Jose

San Jose residents on alert after series of mountain lion sightings

NBC Universal, Inc.

Many San Jose residents are on alert after a slew of recent mountain lion sightings across multiple neighborhoods.

As of Friday, it was unclear if the sightings involved the same big cat or multiple.

The latest sighting, which occurred near Kelley Park, home to the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, prompted the city to issue a safety advisory.

"That is frightening just because I have little kids," Teresa Hernandez said.

Park rangers said the sighting happened at the nearby disc golf course. Warning signs have since been posted in that area.

Park rangers shared some advice on what to do if someone comes across a cougar.

"Act big, act loud, call 911 in that case and back away slowly," Sgt. Danny Nguyen said. "Don’t make yourself small. Don’t crouch down. Pick up your children if you need to."

Rangers said while wildlife is showing up where the public may not expect them, this isn't the rise and revenge of the wild.

"Definitely not," Nguyen said. "Wildlife is wildlife all year long. We exist amongst their habitat. We’re not surprised to see them at any time of the year."

The mountain lion sightings have all been relatively near Coyote Creek. Rangers said the waterways are highways for the big cats, noting they can roam more than 100 miles inside their territory.

Recent mountain lion sightings in the South Bay

June 6: The city of San Jose sent out a safety advisory on social media after a mountain lion was spotted near Kelley Park.

June 5: Police responded to several reports of a mountain lion sighting in the area of Ella Drive and War Admiral Way in South San Jose.

May 31: At around 10 p.m. a mountain lion was spotted near 24th and Santa Clara streets.

The incident was caught on a home surveillance video. The video showed the mountain lion walking by a truck with a small dog barking at it. Another video showed the mountain lion on a roof.

May 30: Another mountain lion sighting was reported in the area of Oakland Road And Murphy Avenue in San Jose. It is not known at this time if it’s the same mountain lion spotted on May 31.

May 29: A mountain lion was spotted early morning in a Milpitas residential neighborhood, and a second sighting was reported later in the day, according to police.

Contact Us