A cougar killed a family’s pit bull in Los Angeles, California, according to authorities.
According to Fox 11, the cougar was first spotted around 5 a.m. Saturday near the Oakridge Mobile Home Park at Foothill Blvd. and Glenoaks Blvd. in the Sylmar neighborhood.
Officials issued a “wildlife alert” for the San Fernando Valley following the incident, according to the outlet.
One resident, Ray Constante, was walking home when he saw the puma tied to a gray pit bull.
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A cougar has killed a family’s pit bull in Los Angeles, California. (National Park Service via AP)
“A huge cougar killed our neighbor’s dog. I’m worried for the owner because the dog is still tied up. A beautiful pit bull has died,” Constante wrote on Facebook. “Oakridge residents, please do not walk your pets at night. This animal is still out there untagged, waiting for its next victim.”
“He looked up at me and growled… and I said, ‘Wow’… I was really surprised,” he told Fox 11.
According to the outlet, the puma got scared and ran away when a person in another vehicle honked the horn.
According to Fox 11, the 5-year-old dog, named Gigi, was recently adopted from Southern California Pit Bull Rescue, which is preserving the dog’s remains for examination by the California Fish and Wildlife Service.
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After the incident, officials issued a “wildlife alert” for the San Fernando Valley. (iStock)
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“Dear Sylmar Neighbors, As we know, living in this wonderful community, we coexist with an abundance of wildlife. Coyotes, raccoons, opossums, the occasional bear, and recently a fairly large mountain lion (maybe two),” the Sylmar Neighborhood Council writes on its website.
According to National Park Service guidelines, officials urge residents to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves, including not jogging or hiking alone and keeping children close by.
If a puma is spotted, residents are instructed not to approach the animal, not to run away, and not to crouch or duck. Residents should raise their arms to make themselves appear larger, and if attacked, they should fight back, the guidelines say.
