Mountain lion near Brentwood Country Club evades wildlife officials

A large mountain lion that meandered into Brentwood on Thursday morning has proved difficult to subdue and relocate, continuing to evade wildlife officials hours after it was first spotted.

The mountain lion has moved around near the Brentwood Country Club as officials try to dart or tranquilize the young adult cat so it can be moved into the “nearest suitable habitat,” said Tim Daly, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

As attempts to capture the mountain lion continue as of 3 p.m. Thursday, San Vicente Boulevard has been shut down in both directions and a nearby elementary school has sheltered in place. Someone first spotted the cat just after 10 a.m. Thursday, calling the animal into the Los Angeles Police Department, said agency spokesperson Melissa Podany.

Brentwood Science Magnet, a K-5 school, sheltered in place just before 11 a.m. after reports of the mountain lion, said Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson Nina Buranasombati. She said officials from L.A. City Animal Services and the L.A. School Police Department are on scene, along with the Fish and Wildlife officers.

Daly said “wildlife conflict specialists” with the state agency responded to the lion Thursday afternoon. He said their main concern is always public safety whenever such a predator enters communities.

“We urge people to do a really good job of protecting small children and small animals,” Daly said. “Keep your small pets inside, and I wouldn’t be out on a walk with a 2-year-old in that area. … We want to make sure this goes as smoothly as possible.”

Podany said the animal was lying down next to a Department of Water and Power building on the corner of San Vicente Boulevard and South Gretna Green Way, at the northwest corner of Brentwood Country Club.

“It’s kind of chilling next to a building under a tree,” Podany said Thursday morning. She said they have at least one officer on the scene, and asked that people keep their distance from the cougar.

It was not immediately clear where the mountain lion had come from or whether it had a GPS radio collar, but Brentwood is not far from the Santa Monica Mountains, where many of the big cats roam. There was a recent spotting of a mountain lion near Griffith Park, believed to be the celebrity-caliber cat P-22.

Times photographer Wally Skalij contributed to this report.