GUSTINE — A week after a mountain lion was captured on home security cameras moving through a Gustine neighborhood, state wildlife officials say the footage remains the only confirmed sighting despite several unverified reports circulating on social media.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been working with the Gustine Police Department to evaluate the March 22 sighting on Hartley Court, where two home cameras recorded what appeared to be an adult mountain lion — and possibly a juvenile — walking through residential yards around 3 a.m. CDFW Wildlife Management Unit Biologist Chinnu Xiong, who oversees Merced and western Stanislaus counties, said the department requires clear, firsthand evidence before verifying a sighting. He said the Ring camera footage from that morning remains the strongest documentation.
“Typically, I like to have first-hand reports from witnesses and, if possible, clear photos or videos with time and date stamps,” Xiong said. “The best evidence is still from the surveillance video on Sunday.”…