By Jon Johnson
CENTRAL — A mountain lion sighting in a Central backyard on Sunday morning triggered a multi-agency response, shifting from an initial plan for peaceful coexistence to an active tranquilization and extraction.
According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, the incident began at approximately 10:31 a.m., when a deputy was dispatched to a residence on West Norton Road. The area lies within the unincorporated community of Central, between Pima and Thatcher. The homeowner alerted dispatch that a large predator was in the backyard and that they also had dogs on the property.
Prior to the primary deputy’s arrival, another officer reached the scene and reported that two mountain lions were possibly spotted in a tree, though they were not acting aggressively.
Once the second deputy arrived, they confirmed that they had seen a mountain lion resting in a tree northwest of the home. While waiting for the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) to arrive, the two kept eyes on the animal. A deputy monitored the situation with his patrol rifle deployed to ensure the immediate safety of the neighborhood’s residents.
Upon arrival, Game and Fish officers initially opted for a passive approach. Recognizing that the region was experiencing peak summer temperatures, wildlife officials stated the mountain lion was likely just looking for a place to rest during one of the hottest parts of the day. They emphasized that the animal was not actively looking to harm people or the homeowner’s dogs.
AZGFD personnel instructed the deputies to advise any residents outside to go about their day indoors and leave the immediate area. The goal was to provide the mountain lion with as little disturbance as possible, encouraging it to naturally climb down from the tree and head toward the nearby river once things quieted down.
The residents complied, and the primary deputy cleared the backyard, parking down the road to remain on standby in case the lion endangered any nearby residents or local animals.
The peaceful retreat plan was ultimately short-lived. A short time later, a deputy notified the staged units that Game and Fish personnel had determined they would need to actively remove the mountain lion from the tree.
Deputies returned to the West Norton Road residence to stand by as the Game and Fish officer tranquilized the animal. Once the sedative took effect, the wildlife official utilized a ladder to safely retrieve the unconscious mountain lion from the branches. The animal was placed into the back of a Game and Fish vehicle and transported away from the area.
Mark Frieberg of the Arizona Game and Fish Department confirmed the agency’s response to the predatory wildlife call but noted a discrepancy in the count once specialized officers arrived.
“Yes, we received a call on a lion in a tree,” Frieberg stated. “Initially, two were thought to be in the tree, but when officers were on scene, only one was found in the tree.”
Frieberg said that because the animal ultimately had to be tranquilized and removed from a high-density residential conflict zone, it was put down off-site for public safety.
“Officers attempted to get the lion to leave on its own, but ultimately the lion was tranquilized, removed, and put down off-site for the safety of the public,” Frieberg added.
According to AZGFD policy guidelines, relocation is rarely a viable option for adult mountain lions involved in human-wildlife conflicts. The department notes that moving an adult predator often simply transfers the danger to another community or backcountry recreation area. Furthermore, because mountain lions have expansive home ranges, relocated individuals often attempt to return to their original territories, creating additional safety hazards along the way.
No injuries to residents, domestic dogs, or responding personnel were reported, and the Sheriff’s Office cleared the scene without further incident.
