It’s not every day you see a mountain lion in your neighborhood. It’s even rarer to spot a mountain lion and a coyote facing off in your backyard. One homeowner in Rancho Santa Fe, which is just north of and slightly inland from San Diego, California, enjoyed this mountain lion vs. coyote spectacle recently, and he got photos and video of it.
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) told local news outlet CBS 8 San Diego that it’s rare to spot a mountain lion in this area, but this isn’t the first time. As for capturing both a mountain lion and a coyote at the same time, a local biologist said that’s pretty cool.
The homeowner, Andi Ballard, told CBS 8 that a “mountain lion tracker” came to the house earlier this week saying a mountain lion was in the area. Sure enough, there was, and it ended up in Ballard’s yard. In the photos and video, you can see the mountain lion and coyote in a standoff near a backyard pool.
Both animals moved on shortly after the encounter. Ballad said the coyote ran off toward a creek and the mountain lion headed down the hill.
See CBS 8’s coverage of the mountain lion vs. coyote moment here:
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