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Live television reporting about an incident where a young mountain lion was safely tranquilized and captured in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when a coyote wandered into the background during the broadcast.
During live coverage of the feline’s capture, the ABC7 News reporter Frances Wang was on camera when an unexpected urban resident passed behind her. A coyote calmly walked through the shot, unnoticed as she continued reporting. Video of the moment quickly gained attention for the visual irony of one wild predator being removed as another freely roamed the city streets.
“Your eyes do not deceive you. That’s a coyote strolling on by during ABC7’s Frances Wang live shot,” the station posted on X. “Ironically, she was reporting on the capture of a 2-year-old mountain lion who was seen roaming around San Francisco streets.”
Wang herself commented about the encounter on social media, writing: “This is why I love live TV. You just never know what you’ll get sometimes!”
The mountain lion – a two-year-old, 77-pound male – was first seen late on Monday, with additional sightings reported early Tuesday around Lafayette Park. San Francisco animal care and control officers eventually located the animal wedged between buildings on California Street between Laguna and Octavia.
Authorities closed nearby streets as officials used several tranquilizer darts to sedate and secure the cougar. It will be released back into the wild, officials said.
Wildlife experts believe the young male probably entered the city while searching for new territory, a common behavior among dispersing juveniles, possibly traveling from the southern hills along the Pacific coast.
Both the coyote and lion incidents are examples of San Francisco’s longstanding coexistence with wildlife. While mountain lion sightings are rare in the city, they are known to pop up occasionally. On the other hand, coyotes are a relatively common sight in the city’s many parks and green spaces.
Perhaps the coyote in question was eager to get on camera after feeling jealous of a relative who also made headlines in the Bay Area recently. Earlier this month, another coyote stunned observers by swimming to Alcatraz, braving the treacherous waters surrounding the notorious former prison island off the coast of San Francisco in plain view of a tourist recording video.
That coyote is thought to be the first ever to reach Alcatraz in that manner. While it’s uncertain why the animal doggy-paddled there, the consensus is that the creature probably came from San Francisco – about 1.25 miles (2km) away – or other islands near Alcatraz where coyotes have been spotted.
