A big mountain lion was seen walking around Lake Mission Viejo, California, residents’ yard and eventually went for a dip in the lake.
Valerie Strowski said a loud thud outside her lakeside home around 1:20 am woke her up and when her husband checked their surveillance camera, they saw the big cat.
“Saw it looking in the water and I thought there’s no way, there’s no way it’s going to do this — but I had a really weird feeling it was — and it dove into the water,” Strowski said.
Residents called the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after seeing the wild mountain lion near their homes, and deputies arrived at the scene where the big cat was swimming across the lake. Mission Viejo Animal Services are keeping an eye out for the animal.
Residents were advised not to crouch down or run away if they encountered a mountain lion. Since the human population expanded into the big cat’s habitat, more frequent sightings are expected. See advice and precautions here.
Image and video credit: KTLA 5