Apex predator hops into California home’s yard and onto recycling bins. See it
.jpeg "An apex predator was spotted hopping a fence and using recycling bins as a personal staircase in a California yard, home surveillance video shows.")
An apex predator was spotted on home surveillance video after hopping a fence into a California home’s yard — and using some recycling bins as a personal staircase.
The Brentwood Police Department shared the video to its Instagram account on July 22.
“This morning, a mountain lion was spotted near a residential home in the area of Fairview Avenue and San Jose Drive,” the department said. “The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified.”
The department reminded residents to “remain alert while walking in the area, especially with children and pets.
“If you see the mountain lion, please report the sighting to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (707) 428-2002, or contact Brentwood Police Dispatch at (925) 809-7911, or 9-1-1 in an emergency,” the department said.
The homeowner told KABC-TV that the surveillance camera alerted him to the animal’s presence and he was able to catch a quick glimpse of it.
“When I peeked out, it just scurried up so it basically just jumped from the ground straight up,” Steven Fitzpatrick told the outlet. “Caught its front legs up and then scurried … it was gone in like two seconds.”
But then he noticed something appeared to be wrong with it, the outlet reported. For starters, it was much smaller than what he was anticipating for a fully grown adult cougar.
“A normal mountain lion would be bigger,” he told the outlet. “I could see its ribs, so I couldn’t tell if it was a cub or just malnourished.”
Several people commented on the department’s video saying they hoped wildlife officials would safely relocate the animal.
“This is my neighborhood. How sad. Obviously it’s lost,” someone said. “Hopefully it can be safely relocated! Please don’t hurt it.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Apex predator hops into California home’s yard and onto recycling bins. See it."
