The mountain lion spotted roaming around North San Diego County earlier this week has apparently died after being hit by a vehicle.
Earlier today, at around 7:25 pm, the lifeless body of a mountain lion was found on North River Road east of Wilshire Road in San Diego's North County city of Oceanside. An alert passerby noticed the deceased feline on the road and carefully moved it aside to prevent further collisions with vehicles. Subsequently, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was notified by a witness, and Fish & Wildlife took possession of the animal's remains.
This week, reports surfaced about multiple sightings of a large, young mountain lion prowling the streets of Oceanside in North County, San Diego. The cougar was observed in various locations from Monday to Wednesday evenings, including the 200 and 300 blocks of North Coast Highway near Oceanside City Hall, the 1100 block of South Coast Highway, State Route 76 at Rancho Del Oro near Ivey Ranch Park, and Regal Cinemas on Mission Boulevard in downtown Oceanside. Surveillance cameras captured the mountain lion walking through a courtyard near Oceanside City Hall, crossing a busy street, and being spotted within a parking garage near city hall.
While it has not been definitively confirmed that the mountain lion found dead today is the same one observed earlier this week, the species is known to maintain territories averaging 100 square miles. Mountain lions occasionally linger or repeatedly return to urban areas, making it highly likely that it is the same cat. A representative from Fish and Wildlife claim there is no known way to determine with certainty that it is the same animal.
We have obtained photographs of the deceased creature but are not sharing due to the sensitive nature of the images. Below is an image of the cat's paw, which has been circulating online.
