Mountain Lion Tranquilized After Breaking Into California Shopping Center

A mountain lion was tranquilized after it ran into a business at a shopping plaza in California. According to ABC7, the two-year-old male mountain lion was first spotted on the street around 1:15 P.M. on Tuesday, March 22. The animal was in the area of Odyssey and Water Works Way, near Oak Creek Community Park before it ran inside the business, according to the Irvine Police Department.

"I'm like, 'Oh my gosh. Is there a robber? Is there a shooting? What's going on?'" Claire Leenerts of Bishops Cuts and Colors told reporters. "So, I start to walk towards the front and I see the mountain lion dart back from the glass and ran into the glass wall of our store. It was insane."

The people inside the business that the mountain lion ran into were able to get out before authorities made their way inside and sedated the wild animal.

"As our claw-enforcement officers arrived, the lion ran towards the shopping center nearly causing a fur-enzy as it is uncommon for a mountain lion to be seen in Irvine," the Irvine Police Department funnily explained in a Facebook post. "IPD Animal Services Officers were able to safely sedate the feline to avoid a cat-astrophy. He was taken to a local animal care center for evaluation. He will be released in the near future."