Mike Watkins, 59, said he woke up to an alert on his phone just before 3 a.m. Saturday morning. He thought it was his son leaving for work.
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Later in the day, he scrolled through the footage, and noticed a long tail, then realized it was a cougar.
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"At first glance, scrolling, I saw an animal. Possibly a cat or raccoon. Then checked again, and saw this long tail," he told ABC7 News. "I noticed it was a lot bigger."
So he posted the video on the Nextdoor app to alert his neighbors.
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Watkins has lived in the home for half his life, and has never seen or heard of a mountain lion in the area.
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"I have seen deer, raccoons, skunks, coyote, and others," he said. He speculates the wildfires, construction, and less traffic due to COVID-19 are pushing and allowing these animals out of their natural habitat looking for food and adventure.
Watkins said he and his wife just installed the camera a week ago, and has notified police and animal control.