Saratoga resident says mountain lion killed her mini horse
Bay Area mountain lion sightings
A spike in mountain lion sightings in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains are leaving neighbors in Saratoga on edge.
SARATOGA, Calif. - "It is very scary," said Thamil Annamalai.
Wildlife encounters
Annamalai 's, camera captured a mountain lion on her front porch this week. The same one she believes killed her neighbor's mini horse.
"We just live two doors down. It is very scary to know that the mountain lion can come and take away the pony that we see every day, going up and down the street," said Annamalai.
That's exactly what Tracy Lundmark says happened to her family's beloved mini horse, Seabiscut.
"We had Seabiscut for 14 years. Never ever had a problem. This was a complete shock to us," said Lundmark.
Lundmark says Seabiscut weighed about 200 pounds and went missing on December 22. Her family posted flyers throughout the neighborhood and even filed a theft report with the sheriff's office.
"At first we assumed he was taken because the corral was locked and properly closed," said Lundmark.
Then on December 27, she says her daughter went looking for the mini horse near a creek, right near the corral. That's where she found Seabiscuit.
"They did see a group of large vultures. That was not a good sign. That led us to little Seabiscut. He was mauled by a mountain lion," said Lundmark.
Mountain lion attack confirmed
Lundmark says she sent the photos to the department of Fish and Wildlife. They confirmed it was a mountain lion attack.
Also, there have been recent sightings nearby, this in Los Gatos early in the morning on New Year's Day.
Many of the videos in different neighborhoods show the animal before sunrise. Lundmark and her neighbors say, be aware of your surroundings.
"There are lots of homes around here. Lots of dogs. I'm still in shock. It's a mystery why they are coming down so close," said Lundmark.
Lundmark says she has asked the county to relocate the mountain lion, but was denied.
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