A public safety warning has been issued after reports of mountain lion sightings in Northern California, according to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said the sightings have been in the Upper Main Street area of Downieville.

A resident shot and killed a mountain lion attacking their neighbor’s dog in a California neighborhood, officials said. The dog was in the cougar’s jaws as the neighbor fired and didn’t survive the attack, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told McClatchy News in a phone interview Tuesday, Jan. 14.

He went back and forth in front of our patio and we got a pretty clear shot of his face – it was a beautiful cat, but also pretty scary.” - Rene Lindgren

Mountain lion concerns continue in Placer County, forcing one man to sell off his herd following a recent attack on his sheep. But a new study aims to give ranchers like him some hope.

The sheriff's office said it received several reports of mountain lion sightings in the Upper Main Street area of Downieville.

Residents and visitors in Helena are being urged to exercise caution after a mountain lion was recently spotted on Mount Helena.

According to a public notice from the Sierra County sheriff’s office, a mountain lion was shot and killed early Monday, Jan. 13, after it fatally attacked a dog on Main Street. That lion had been seen in the company of two others.