A mountain lion who was shot by police in California died in surgery.
The young male – believed to be around a year old – was spotted Friday morning on the porch of a house in Hollister, about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
Police were called and officials from the California Department of Fisheries and Wildlife tried to reassure the animal.
A spokesperson said the initial goal was to return the mountain lion to its habitat.
He added: “We did not consider the mountain lion a threat to public safety. He had not acted aggressively.”
But the lion escaped from a bush to a police officer, prompting their two colleagues to shoot him.
Hollister Police Department said, “We couldn’t put the animal’s life above human life, which is why the officers fired their rifles at the scene.”
The 34 kg (75 lb) lion jumped over a fence in a nearby garden, where he was again reassured and taken to the Oakland Zoo vets.
Despite the emergency surgery, the animal did not survive.
Prior to the surgery, Dr. Alex Herman, the zoo’s vice president of veterinary services, said of the lion: “It’s beautiful, in great condition, well fed, all right.
“Probably just a boy looking for peat, like they do at that age.”
