Mountain lion roaming near home meets its match in family’s border collie, CA cops say

A California dog took matters into its own hands Monday when it came face-to-face with a mountain lion.

Butte County Sheriff’s Office said that a family dog chased a mountain lion up into a tree.

“Just after 11:00 a.m. today, BCSO received a call from a homeowner on Kelsey Drive in North Chico, advising that her dog had chased a mountain lion up into a tree,” the sheriff said.

The border collie led the 90-pound mountain lion up into the tree before officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived, Action News Now reported.

Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife tranquilized the mountain lion and returned it to the wild, according to the sheriff.

Fish and Wildlife said this incident was a “no harm, no foul” encounter, according to Action News Now.

“Under the CDFW’s Public Safety Wildlife Guidelines, an animal is deemed to be a public safety threat if there is ‘a likelihood of human injury based on the totality of the circumstances,’” Fish and Wildlife said on its website. “Factors that are considered include the lion’s behavior and its proximity to schools, playgrounds and other public gathering places.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Mountain lion roaming near home meets its match in family’s border collie, CA cops say."