Mountain lion chased by dog in backyard of California home

MORADA, Calif. — A security camera captured a dog chasing a mountain lion through the backyard of a California home on Friday.

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Sandy Ali, of Morada, said she had lived in the area for years but had never seen a big cat near her home, KCRA-TV reported. She said she was surprised when a friend mentioned that two animals were running through the yard.

“I was having a bible study in our rec room,” Ali told the television station. “My friend looked out and said, ‘Oh your dogs are playing’ and I said, ‘I only have one dog.’”

Ali said she went outside and saw the mountain lion leap into a tree.

“It’s really beautiful,” Ali told KCRA. “It just, in one leap, was up in the tree so quickly.”

Ali called 911, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office later issued a warning alert to residents about the presence of the mountain lion in the area, KOVR-TV reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, the big cat is not aggressive and there was no threat to the public.

Officials attempted to capture the animal on Friday but were unsuccessful, KXTV reported.

“Our deputies and animal services worked well into the morning hours trying to safely trap the mountain lion that was spotted in a residential backyard on La Loma Street near Los Cerritos,” the sheriff’s office tweeted on Saturday. “Unfortunately, efforts were unsuccessful.”

While there is no imminent threat, the sheriff’s office advised residents to bring their pets inside their homes as a precaution, KOVR reported.

“Our number one priority is your safety,” the sheriff’s office said.