The young man – believed to be about a year old – was spotted on the front porch of a home in Hollister, about 100 miles south of San Francisco, early Friday morning. Police were called and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials attempted to tranquilize the animal. A spokesman said the original goal was to return the mountain lion to its habitat. He added: “We did not consider the mountain lion to be a threat to public safety. He had not acted aggressively.” But the lion ran out of a bush towards a police officer, prompting the two officers to shoot it. The Hollister Police Department said, “We could not put animal life before human life, so officers fired their rifles at the scene.” The 34kg (75lb) lion jumped over a fence into a nearby garden, where it was re-sedated and taken to vets at Auckland Zoo. Despite emergency surgery, the animal did not survive. Before the surgery, Dr. Alex Herman, vice president of veterinary services at the zoo, said of the lion: “He’s beautiful, in great condition, well-fed, everything is fine. “Probably just a young guy looking for turf, as they do at that age.”
