A mountain lion entered a California high school on Wednesday, and had to be trapped inside a classroom by a custodian.
The San Mateo County Sheriffs Office was notified about the intruder at Pescadero High School at about 8:23 a.m. June 1. Police said a fast-acting custodian trapped the puma in an English classroom, where it remained until California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials arrived on the scene.
Mountain lions are native to the Americas, and theyre also known as cougars, pumas or panthers.
The big cat was safely removed and transported to the Oakland Zoo for a health assessment. According to the zoo, the young mountain lion was a male about 6-8 months old, and significantly underweight at just 24.5 pounds. The zoo said he also has a fractured tooth that will need to be extracted once hes recovered a bit.
Because the mountain lion is so young, it cant be released into the wild. The large cats spend the first two years of their lives with their mothers, learning how to hunt. Instead, he will be placed at an accredited zoo.
