Sighting comes on the heels of report of lion in Christmas Hill
Park
GILROY
Residents in Eagle Ridge spotted a mountain lion approaching the development, but it ran off before police could get there, police said.
About 7 a.m. Saturday, the west Gilroy housing development residents called police to report a mountain lion near their backyard, police said.
The large cat came toward the area, but eventually left of its own accord.
“I don’t think it was ever a threat,” Sgt. Jim Gillio said.
Police responded to the call, but did not find the lion, he said.
“By time we got out there, the cat was long gone,” he added.
Many of the houses in the development abut the undeveloped woodlands that stretch over the nearby hills. Most mountain lions found in residential or urban areas are young cats recently pushed out by their mothers to find their own hunting territory, according to lion expert Henry Coletto, who served as a Fish and Game warden in the county for 37 years.
There have been multiple lion sightings in Gilroy in the past year, including an incident where a family found a lion cub hanging out in their small backyard. In the spring, goats and livestock were found mauled at a rural residence on the edge of town and in unincorporated land. This led to sheriff’s deputies shooting and killing one cat that was hanging around a farm.
Just last week, a Gilroy couple reported having spotted a lion twice in two days while strolling with their dogs through Christmas Hill Park. However, that lion was never located and there have not been more reports from that area, police said.
