San Francisco, Nov 11 (IANS): A mountain lion that was reported roaming around an urban residential area in California was caught alive behind a housing complex near San Francisco, authorities said.

A TV footage showed that the lion was carried away on Friday on a pickup truck after it was shot with tranquilizers with its four paws cuffed and a black bag covering its head, reports Xinhua news agency.

The big cat was spotted slinking around an area of the Diamond Heights village of San Francisco, crouching in the trees behind the homes, before it was cornered by a game warden who shot the animal with a tranquilizer gun.

Local media quoted a police officer at the scene as saying that its was a full grown female mountain lion.

"We're all kind of baffled," said Justin Dellinger, a senior environmental scientist. "I think we're all a little stumped about how it even got there."

It was not clear whether the feline was the same animal that was seen lurking around the area earlier this week.

Wildlife experts believe the big cat either found its way to San Francisco from wildland areas on the San Francisco Peninsula or sauntered over the Golden Gate Bridge at night.

It is estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 mountain lions are currently in California, and their territory can extend from 16 to 640 sq.km, according to wildlife officials.