A mountain lion that wandered into a part of Pasadena not typically frequented by the big cats was tranquilized on Friday afternoon, June 5, 2026, authorities said.
Councilmember Steve Madison, whose district includes the area where the roughly 80-pound lion was found, learned of the cougar’s presence about noon.
“It’s surprising,” he said. “I can’t recall anyone seeing a mountain lion south of the 210 Freeway.”
Madison notified the public about the lion by posting on X.
“Please shelter in place if you are near this area as a precaution. Animal control officers are on scene with the Pasadena Police Department. Traffic in the immediate area may be affected by road closures,” he said.
Kevin Howells, a Fish and Wildlife “conflict specialist,” later said the animal was roughly 80 pounds and male, not quite an adult. It was not clear why the cat meandered so deep into Pasadena.
A photo provided by the city earlier on Friday showed the lion relaxing in front of an apartment on Euclid Avenue, north of Del Mar Boulevard.
The area is near residential neighborhoods where people frequently walk with their children and dogs. It is a block south of the Pasadena Convention Center and The Paseo, which houses restaurants and a movie theater. It is also a block north of Mayfield Junior School, a private Catholic school.
A mountain lion is in the area of Del Mar Boulevard & Euclid Avenue. Please shelter in place if you are near this area as a precaution. Animal control officers are on scene with the Pasadena Police Department. Traffic in the immediate area may be affected by road closures. pic.twitter.com/trJMvIpeh2
— Pasadena Council District 6 (@Pasadena_D6) June 5, 2026
Pasadena police and Pasadena Humane were the first to respond because they were the closest and were monitoring the animal, said Cort Klopping, spokesman for the California Fish and Wildlife. Two biologists from Fish and Wildlife followed, he added.
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Residents near Del Mar Boulevard and Euclid Avenue watch as authorities work to capture a mountain lion in Pasadena, on June 5. 2026. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer)
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Residents near Del Mar Boulevard and Euclid Avenue watch as authorities work to capture a mountain lion in Pasadena, on June 5. 2026. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer)
Del Mar Boulevard was blocked by police between Los Robles and Marengo Avenues, diverting traffic around the area.
On Friday, June 5, a mountain lion was spotted on Euclid Avenue and Del Mar Boulevard. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife safely secured the animal, fitted it with a tracking tag, and transported it out of the area. The mountain lion will be released back into its… pic.twitter.com/nYUBHF22qT
— City of Pasadena (@PasadenaGov) June 6, 2026
While parts of Pasadena will frequently get wildlife like coyotes, the area where the cougar showed up is not near the foothills, and a mountain lion in the neighborhood is rare.
The lion was tranquilized by Fish and Wildlife workers shortly before 4:30 p.m., Pasadena police said.
Four years ago, a daring 113-pound mountain lion showed up at an Irvine strip mall, giving customers a shock.
“I was standing at the front desk and a client says, ‘Oh my God,’ said Elliot Matthews, an employee at Bishops Cuts and Colors in Sand Canyon Plaza in Irvine. “All I saw at first was this big thing and a tail.”