Mountain lion spotted stalking children as they play in California neighbourhood

Experts say animals have been displaced by wildfires and public should not panic

A mountain lion was spotted stalking children as they played in a California neighbourhood.

The big cat was captured on video as it watched two youngsters as they rode their bikes in Pacifica, near San Francisco.

The mountain lion was then seen jumping a fence and crouching under a truck before running away.

“I thought it was somebody’s dog that had gotten into the yard and I was like, “hey get out of here!” then it turned and that’s when I was like, “oh my god! it’s a mountain lion!” Timothy Kerrisk told NBC Bay Area.

“I was terrified. I was really afraid for the kids and it was just pure adrenaline.

“ I just came out and was like, “No, no, no, get, get, get.” 

"And I was just chasing it like you would like a regular cat, “Get out of here, get, get.”

“Luckily it turned and just kept going.

"I Love mountain lions. I think they’re beautiful. But, it is a little bit different when they’re in your front yard.”

Neighbour Andrew Mooney called the mountain lion's proximity to the children “intense."

"Not even probably 20 yards away from a cat that big. I mean, I’ve seen them around before. We have a lot of wildlife here. But never this close,” said Mr Mooney.

The big cat was already being tracked by the Bay Area Puma Project, which calls it a “people observer.”

The group says many animals have been forced out of their normal homes by the recent California wildfires and residents should not panic.

"Residents should expect to see activity from this cat here and there, but there’s nothing abnormal or scary or threatening about its behaviour thus far,”said Zara McDonald of the Puma Project.