mountain lion telephone pole

A mountain lion climbed a 35-foot telephone pole in California Tuesday afternoon..

According to the Victor Valley Daily Press, an official with the Department of Fish and Wildlife said it is still unclear why the cougar climbed the pole.

However, the official suggested the cougar could have been chased up the pole by another mountain lion after entering its territory.

“They were yelling with excitement and the big cat scurried up the pole,” the Daily Press reported.

The mountain lion was perched atop the pole until sometime Tuesday night when a local resident reported seeing it climb down.

If the animal had not come down on its own, Fish and Wildlife officials said getting it down would have been difficult. They were concerned that the mountain lion would fall to the ground or into power lines if they tranquilizer.

Mountain lions are active year-round and have extremely large territories, according to Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials. They sometimes roam more than 20 miles a day in search of food and have been known to enter residential areas. People should never approach a mountain lion that enters a residential neighborhood, but should contact Division of Wildlife Resources officials immediately.