A California man was stunned after finding a huge mountain lion perched in a tree above his house.
The owner, identified only as Chris, was caught off guard Monday after hearing a strange noise when he went to check on his dogs outside his Stevenson Ranch home.
“I thought it was a bird, and I looked up in the tree and saw a mountain lion,” Chris said. KTLA.
He looked up into the sky and found the large animal, while shocking images showed the lion looking down at him.
‘We have had other cats. “We’ve had bobcats, we have tons of coyotes here, but never a mountain lion,” he explained.
A homeowner in Stevenson Ranch, California, was left shocked after finding a huge cougar in a tree in his backyard on Monday.
The lion, which Chris estimated weighed around 200 pounds, soon jumped out of the tree and ran off his property after seeing it.
Chris told the outlet that he plans to be more cautious in his yard, but noted that “we’re in his neighborhood.”
People reacted quickly on social media to the terrifying discovery, as some were just as scared, while others revealed that this is a normal occurrence in the area.
“It’s amazing I could get there. Wow, that would be scary,” someone wrote.
“She was probably looking at that guy like he was going to be a meal,” another commented.
“Glad I saw it before it got out of hand,” wrote another.
Meanwhile, others pointed out that the property of man lies in the territory of the animal.
The man, identified only as Chris, said he initially heard a strange noise outside when he went to check on his dogs.
‘They have built it right in front of these animals’ backyard. You can expect more of these sightings,’ said one user.
Another wrote: “But keep building on the hills and pushing them out of their natural habitat.”
“Beautiful cougar, we moved into your territory so now take care of it,” said another.
Others were baffled by how Chris thought the cougar was a bird.
“The mountain lion is identified as a bird,” one user wrote.
‘“I thought it was a bird.” “That’s a pretty big bird you saw there, mate,” joked another.
Another commenter said, “That mountain lion was looking at him thinking he was a bird.”
According to the US Department of Agriculturemountain lions make up “about half of California.”
The animal, also known as a puma, panther or cougar, is “very powerful” and is known to “typically prey on large animals,” including bison, deer and sheep.
They also eat smaller animals and have been known to hunt alone, usually at night.
The species commonly roams hills and mountains.
The agency warned people who come into contact with a mountain lion not to approach it, run or defend themselves if attacked by the animal.
All encounters must be reported to the local sheriff’s deputy or the Department of Fish and Game.
Stevenson Ranch is a community in the Santa Clarita Valley of Los Angeles, located in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains.
In May, a woman came face to face with a mountain lion in her backyard in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.
Corinna Bubenheim captured video of the beast after noticing it when her German shepherds started running around her avocado tree.
Bubenheim said KTLA5 that he thought his dogs were “just making a big fuss over a squirrel.”