Crime & Safety
Mountain Lions Spotted Strolling Through Topanga Driveway
A security camera caught three cougars roaming past a parked car in Topanga early Thursday morning.
LOS ANGELES, CA – A group of mountain lions were spotted on camera during a leisurely stroll through a Topanga neighborhood early Thursday. Video footage obtained by CBS shows the small cougars meandering past a parked car on an Encina Road driveway shortly before 4 a.m.
Such sightings are not uncommon around the Santa Monica Mountains, where dozens of mountain lions reside. Another cougar was recently spotted roaming across Pepperdine's Malibu campus in August.
The species is classified as a "highly protected mammal" in California, making them illegal to hunt. Last month, tragedy struck when a cougar was fatally struck by a car while attempting to cross the 101 freeway.
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Fundraising is underway for an $88.8 million wildlife crossing over the 101 freeway in Agoura Hills, which would connect lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains to those living farther north. Developers hope to break ground on the project next year and have it operational by 2022.
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