Mountain lion seen in Port Streets is captured

A mountain lion spotted roaming around the Port Streets neighborhood in Newport Beach, the same cat seen earlier this month in Laguna Beach, was captured on Friday.

The cougar was seen in the community near Andersen Elementary School on Friday afternoon, according to Newport Beach police.

The school was put on alert while authorities searched for the mountain lion, which authorities believed to be M317, a collared cat that was seen in Laguna Beach earlier this month and at an Irvine shopping center in late March. The cougar is one being tracked by a UC Davis research group.

On Friday evening, Tim Daly of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the Newport Beach visitor was, in fact, M317.

“The lion appears to be healthy, and is currently being transported to nearest suitable habitat, in the Santa Ana Mountains,” Daly said.

Christy Labarthe, a Port Streets resident, said she was aware that a mountain lion was in the area after receiving several alerts from authorities. She moved her dogs indoors and kept her eye on the backyard.

Around 1 p.m., Labarthe noticed a tree rustling from something that was “definitely bigger than a squirrel.”

It was the mountain lion, she realized — a big one.

“It appeared to have blood near its leg, probably from a tranquilizer dart,” Labarthe said. “It was up and walking around my backyard, jumping on and off the (embankment) for awhile, before it finally started falling asleep.

“My dogs were barking the whole time,” she added.

Labarthe waited for authorities to arrive. Once they did, they confirmed the lion had been shot with a dart, and after about an hour, the cougar was removed from her yard.

Drones were used to aid in the search, Daly said. And after sheltering in place, the Andersen students were safely picked up, said Annette Franco, a spokeswoman for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Though M317 has been hanging around for at least a couple of months, officials believe the recent Coastal Fire in Laguna Beach may have pushed some wildlife from their natural habitats into urban areas.

Anyone seeing a mountain lion should stand tall and wave their arms above their head, make noise, act defiant and unafraid — and slowly back away.

If someone spots dangerous wildlife, they should call 911 or the Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3731.