A mountain lion reported in the Port Streets neighborhood of Newport Beach on Friday, May 20 has been found, tranquilized and relocated safely by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The mountain lion was reported at about 1:30 p.m. around the 1900 block of Port Cardigan Place. The Newport Beach Police Department, Animal Control and local Fish and Wildlife officers deployed personnel in the area Friday afternoon to locate the mountain lion and used drones to search the area.
At about 5:30 p.m. the mountain lion was found in the side yard of a home on Port Cardigan. A Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist was able to successfully tranquilize the lion. Fish and Wildlife personnel removed the cat and loaded it into their truck to be relocated.
The presence of a mountain lion or other wildlife in this area may be attributed to the recent Laguna Beach Coastal Fire, which displaced wildlife from their natural habitat.
If you see a mountain lion or other dangerous wildlife, please report it to the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3717 or in the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.