3 marsupials are killed in S.F. Zoo attack

A kangaroo and two wallaroos were attacked and killed by a predator in their enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo, and keepers are trying to figure out whether a young mountain lion that had been seen around San Francisco in recent days before its capture on Thursday was responsible for the deaths.

“Two wallaroos and a red kangaroo were found dead in their outdoor exhibit,” zoo spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. “Findings suggest that a local wild carnivore is responsible.”

The bodies of the slain animals were discovered June 12. At that time, the zoo was unaware of the mountain lion sightings, which were first reported Tuesday.

The three marsupials were part of the zoo’s popular Australian WalkAbout exhibit, a large enclosure along the northern edge of the zoo immediately adjacent to Sloat Boulevard and to the perimeter fence separating the zoo grounds from the outside.

Zoo veterinarians performed necropsies on

the three animals and confirmed that they were “killed by a predator attack.” Chan said they had been bitten. The zoo, Chan said, “took steps to prevent any further loss” but she did not say what the steps were.

“With the unusual sighting and capture of a young mountain lion in San Francisco this week, the zoo is investigating whether this could be the perpetrator,” Chan said.

Early Tuesday, a young mountain lion was seen and photographed on Russian Hill, along the Embarcadero and near Salesforce Tower in the South of Market area. It was spotted again Wednesday near Rincon Hill.

Biologist Zara McDonald of the Bay Area Puma Project, who studied the pictures, said the animal appeared to be healthy, confused and trying to get back to its likely habitat in the hills of northern San Mateo County.

“It doesn’t want to be in San Francisco, that’s for sure,” McDonald said.

Early Thursday, the animal was spotted by police near Oracle Park and captured without incident by animal control officers.

The lion, a 15monthold male, was taken to the Oakland Zoo where a veterinary team deemed him healthy for release back into the wild. The animal weighed in at 68 pounds, according to the zoo.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released the puma in an open preserve Friday, zoo officials said. He will be tracked by the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project through a collar they attached.

In a video of the release posted by the Oakland Zoo, the lion scampers out of a cage, pauses and trots away on a dirt path leading into a forest.