'I only have 1 dog:' Shocked California homeowner spots mountain lion 'playing' with pet

A mountain lion spotted in the backyard of a northern California home prompted authorities to issue a warning to area residents after efforts to nab the big cat were unsuccessful.

Home security footage shared with KCRA-TV shows a family dog chasing the wild feline through the yard in the community of Morada, in California's Central Valley about 50 miles south of Sacramento.

Homeowner Sandy Ali told the NBC affiliate that she was having a Bible study at her home when a friend looked out the window and remarked on what she mistook for her two dogs playing outside.

"My friend looked out and said, ‘Oh your dogs are playing,’" Ali recalled. "And I said, ‘I only have one dog.’"

At-large mountain lion prompts warning from sheriff's office

Ali said she watched as the mountain lion leapt into a tree in a single bound before she called 911. Multiple agencies responded to her home at 6:45 p.m., but efforts to subdue the mountain lion were unsuccessful before it escaped.

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"Our deputies and animal services worked well into the morning hours trying to safely trap the mountain lion," San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The agency issued a warning late Friday on the platform, telling residents that the lion was on the loose.

"The mountain lion is not aggressive and there is no danger at this time," the agency posted, telling residents to stay inside with their pets as a precaution.

By the next morning, the mountain lion remained at large and the sheriff's office asked that anyone who spotted it call its office.

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Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.