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f50lrrp · 05-02-2008, 08:47

In 1976, when I was a young police officer in Monterey< California, I received a “Wild Animal” call at 0300 hours in “New Monterey” not far from the Defense Language Institute.

When I arrived it was extremely foggy (as only Monterey can be). The first thing that I observed was a man in his 50s holding a rifle and a flashlight. I got out of my patrol car and asked the man what was going on. He told me that he had a lion in his back yard and needed the rifle to protect himself.. I asked him if he was sure it was a lion and he said that it was an African Lion with a full mane and everything. I took the rifle away from him and asked what he’d been smoking because I couldn’t smell alcohol. He replied, “No Shit it’s an African Lion.

Just then there was a roar coming from the side of his house. I shined my spot light toward the sound and there stood an African Lion with a full mane. I told the man to get into his house and make sure all of the windows and doors were closed. I jumped into the patrol car and called for back up. There was only one other officer working the shift and he responded. The Pacific Grove police also responded two patrol cars since it was only two blocks from their city.

Officer Lee Gardner arrived and we discussed that the lion seemed to be afraid of the bright spot lights on our patrol cars (aircraft landing lights). So we placed our cars to keep both sides of the house bathed in bright lights. I called dispatch and requested that the Department of Fish and Game respond with a tranquilizer gun. I was informed that DFG’s nearest tranquilizer gun was in King City about two hours away. The City of Monterey’s Animal Control Officer arrived in his truck and had absolutely no idea what to do. While Gardner and I were trying to problem solve, the ACO called the SPCA and a Humane Officer arrived at the scene. He, of course, had no clue as to how to handle a pissed off African lion, either.

By then, it was approaching 0500 hours and people were starting to walk dogs and to jog. So Gardner and I loaded our Remington 870 shotguns with rifled slugs and planned to assault the lion with one of us emptying four rounds into the lion and then the other officer emptying his four rounds while the first officer reloaded. We reasoned that 16 rifled slugs should put the lion down.

As we approached the back yard, a man walked up and declared that the lion was his. He asked for five minutes to get his truck with a cage on it to lock the lion into. He shortly returned with his truck and placed a trail of chicken necks into the cage. Once the lion was secured, we ordered the man to drive to the police department. The truck was placed into the motorcycle garage and the owner was placed into an interview room. A quick review of the Penal Code, the Fish and Game Code and the City Code failed to find any applicable violations. The on-call Deputy D.A. was called, The DFG supervisor was called and the City Attorney was called. They all researched and no violation of the law was found!

The City Code now prohibits a cat over 35 pounds from roaming in the City. The Fish and Game now prohibits owning a wild cat without a state permit.

Ask me about the Brown Bear that found its way into the courthouse, some other time.

05-02-2008, 08:47	#4
f50lrrp BANNED USER Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Monterey California Posts: 392	African Lion Encounter In 1976, when I was a young police officer in Monterey< California, I received a “Wild Animal” call at 0300 hours in “New Monterey” not far from the Defense Language Institute. When I arrived it was extremely foggy (as only Monterey can be). The first thing that I observed was a man in his 50s holding a rifle and a flashlight. I got out of my patrol car and asked the man what was going on. He told me that he had a lion in his back yard and needed the rifle to protect himself.. I asked him if he was sure it was a lion and he said that it was an African Lion with a full mane and everything. I took the rifle away from him and asked what he’d been smoking because I couldn’t smell alcohol. He replied, “No Shit it’s an African Lion. Just then there was a roar coming from the side of his house. I shined my spot light toward the sound and there stood an African Lion with a full mane. I told the man to get into his house and make sure all of the windows and doors were closed. I jumped into the patrol car and called for back up. There was only one other officer working the shift and he responded. The Pacific Grove police also responded two patrol cars since it was only two blocks from their city. Officer Lee Gardner arrived and we discussed that the lion seemed to be afraid of the bright spot lights on our patrol cars (aircraft landing lights). So we placed our cars to keep both sides of the house bathed in bright lights. I called dispatch and requested that the Department of Fish and Game respond with a tranquilizer gun. I was informed that DFG’s nearest tranquilizer gun was in King City about two hours away. The City of Monterey’s Animal Control Officer arrived in his truck and had absolutely no idea what to do. While Gardner and I were trying to problem solve, the ACO called the SPCA and a Humane Officer arrived at the scene. He, of course, had no clue as to how to handle a pissed off African lion, either. By then, it was approaching 0500 hours and people were starting to walk dogs and to jog. So Gardner and I loaded our Remington 870 shotguns with rifled slugs and planned to assault the lion with one of us emptying four rounds into the lion and then the other officer emptying his four rounds while the first officer reloaded. We reasoned that 16 rifled slugs should put the lion down. As we approached the back yard, a man walked up and declared that the lion was his. He asked for five minutes to get his truck with a cage on it to lock the lion into. He shortly returned with his truck and placed a trail of chicken necks into the cage. Once the lion was secured, we ordered the man to drive to the police department. The truck was placed into the motorcycle garage and the owner was placed into an interview room. A quick review of the Penal Code, the Fish and Game Code and the City Code failed to find any applicable violations. The on-call Deputy D.A. was called, The DFG supervisor was called and the City Attorney was called. They all researched and no violation of the law was found! The City Code now prohibits a cat over 35 pounds from roaming in the City. The Fish and Game now prohibits owning a wild cat without a state permit. Ask me about the Brown Bear that found its way into the courthouse, some other time.
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