Valerie Strowski thought her husband was crazy when he woke her up at 1:20 a.m. Saturday, March 20, and told her there was a mountain lion on their property along Lake Mission Viejo.
But when she looked down from her balcony, she could see that the huge cat silently padding along the edge of their pool definitely wasn’t a coyote and was too big to be a bobcat.
“We don’t really get coyotes and the bigger animals out by the lake, anyway,” Strowski said. “I don’t think they like the water.”
The homeowner said the mountain lion appeared to focus on a fake fish in the pool that belonged to one of her four children, possibly mistaking the toy for live prey. It then made its way down to the dock on her property and stared across the lake for about 15 minutes.
Strowski tried to keep quiet as she watched and waited for authorities to arrive.
“It looked so peaceful,” Strowski said. “My neighbors have been teasing me this morning and saying that it came to our house because it must have liked the view.”
Strowski has lived in Misson Viejo for eight years, and this is the first time she has ever seen a mountain lion near her home. She was even more surprised when the animal leaped into the placid lake, completely unprovoked. A splash broke the predawn silence and sent ripples across the water.
At about that moment, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Strowski’s home. They used their flashlights to look for the mountain lion and saw its glowing eyes peering above the waterline as the animal turned to look at them while it swam. She estimated that it had crossed about 300 yards of water at that point, and was almost on the other side of the lake.
Strowski and deputies at the scene Saturday assumed that the mountain lion made it to shore near the Mollorca Condominiums. However, they were unable to find the animal that morning.
“If there wasn’t video of this animal swimming across the lake, I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me,” said J.R. Stewart, and Animal Control Sgt. for Mission Viejo Animal Services.
The mountain lion hasn’t been spotted since Saturday, Stewart said. Animal control officials will be in the area for the next few days to look out for tracks and other signs of it.
Mountain lions tend to travel great distances each night, so the one captured on camera over the weekend may be miles away from the lake already.
Animal control agents may place a tracking collar on the animal if it is seen again, Stewart said. If it appears to stay in the area and is deemed a potential threat to residents, state Fish and Wildlife officials could authorize the capture of the Mountain Lion. That’s what happened to another big cat that was collared elsewhere last year.
“It’s all the neighbors are talking about,” Strowski said. “Some people with dogs are making a point about keeping them in at night, for now.”
Mountain lions usually stay away from humans and do not typically prey on domestic animals “unless an opportunity arises,” Mission Viejo officials said in a news release. They also are known to swim, but normally only do so if absolutely necessary.
Animal control officials advised people in the area of the lake to avoid going on walks alone, especially when it is dark out. Children should stay within reach of an adult and pets should be kept on a leash.
Those who do encounter a mountain lion should not run away or crouch down. Wildlife experts recommend that people raise their arms and speak loudly and firmly toward the animals while backing away slowly.