Two residents on West Amistad Lane, near the roundabout on Legacy Drive, spotted a large animal perched on a rooftop at about 7 a.m.
The San Joaquin Sheriff’s department was sent to the scene and cordoned off an area on the 100 block of West Amistad Lane around several homes where they believed the mountain lion was last seen.
Lt. Philip George, of the San Joaquin Sheriff Department, said a reverse 911 call was sent to residents advising them to stay indoors.
Foot traffic on the street was blocked, and a fire engine from the Mountain House and a ladder truck from the Tracy Fire Departments were used to search the rooftops.
George said a photograph taken by a resident that was given to deputies early in the search, showed an animal that appeared to be about 70 pounds and standing nearly 30 inches.
San Joaquin County Animal Control officers were called to the scene and a request was made for officers from the California Department of Fish and Game.
At 8:30 a.m., deputies began searching yards on Amistad Lane and nearby streets for the mountain lion. Deputies were armed with rifles and shotguns as animal control officers followed with a tranquilizer gun and catch pole.
“We want to tranquilize it if possible but we are prepared to use lethal force if necessary” George said at the scene as the search team went into backyards.
The team found no sign of the cat, and a second photo taken by different neighbor in the area the animal was believed to be a feral cat.
“We think it’s a very, very large feral cat,” George said. “Mountain House has a problem with feral cats.”
The search was called off around 9:10 a.m., and the Mountain House deputy was set to remain in the area to watch out for any sign of the animal. Another reverse 911 call was sent out by the sheriff department notifying residents they could leave their house.
Mountain House resident Troy Conwi just arrived back to his house from walking his boxer Spike when he saw the gathering of deputies around Amistad Lane.
“I’ve never seen a mountain lion here,” he said. “I’ve seen foxes, coyotes and rabbits here but not a mountain lion.”
Conwi said he planned to keep his dog indoors until the cat was found.
George said no schools were put on lockdown but they were concerned about children walking to the schools in the morning.
The last time the sheriff’s department went to a mountain lion call was when one spotted in the San Joaquin was in the late 1990s in east Stockton, George said.
Contact Glenn Moore at 830-4252 or gmoore@tracypress.com
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