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Mountain Lion Tries Walking Into Hair Salon, Police Detain It

Not the mountain lion from the story. (Credit: Shutterstock/moosehenderson)

Melanie Wilcox Contributor
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Local police officers and animal control captured a mountain lion trying to enter a hair salon in Irvine, California, Tuesday.

A receptionist at Bishops Salon outside the Sand Canyon Plaza by Waterworks Way and Odyssey closed a glass door on a mountain lion at about 1:15 p.m., preventing it from entering the store, KTLA 75 reported(RELATED: REPORT: Montana Gov. Gianforte Hunts Down Mountain Lion, Sparks Backlash)

“I just heard commotion outside, and I just looked up, and all of sudden, I just see this lion coming out of nowhere,” employee Rukkus told KTLA 75.

“At first, I thought it was a robbery or maybe a shooting,” employee Claire Leenerts told KTLA 75. “It was very scary. I’m looking over and I just see it slammed right into our glass.”

A veterinarian evaluated the two-year-old mountain lion, who will be released soon, KTLA reported.

“We are not lion, we had a purr-ty scary situation on our paws today,” Irvine Police said on social media. “As our claw-enforcement officers arrived, the lion ran towards the shopping center nearly causing a fur-enzy as it is uncommon for a mountain lion to be seen in Irvine.”

“Thankfully our officers are not scaredy cats and purr-sued the big kitty into a business area,” police added.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said there have been more interactions between people and mountain lions. The CDFW advises people not to run away if they see a mountain lion, as doing so may trigger a chase, catch and kill response. Instead, it’s important to face the animal, make noise and look bigger by waving your arms. Squatting may make a person look like a four-legged animal, which would trigger an aggressive response from the cougar.