ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Talk about a shock. A man who lives in a northeast Albuquerque neighborhood off Eubank found a mountain lion in his tree this week. It’s not far from the foothills but it’s definitely not the animals’ typical territory. Neighbors say the mountain lion was moving from backyard to backyard, and they say they’re just thankful no person or animals were harmed.

“Me and my dog were out in the backyard playing and just hanging out and I see a bunch of leaves on the floor from the tree and I went to investigate why there was a bunch of leaves on the floor and when I look up I saw this big mountain lion. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” said Brian Weeks.

Weeks who lives in a neighborhood near Eubank and Menaul says he spotted the big cat just before the storm rolled in on Monday. He said he immediately called for help, then snapped a few pictures while he waited.

A neighbor one street over says that same day she found it sitting on her porch. Someone else in the area found the video on their security camera of the mountain lion walking past their driveway in the middle of the night.

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish says they were able to capture the mountain lion and believe he was about a year and a half to two years old. They say this is around the age they leave their mothers to go out on their own and think he may have traveled down an arroyo and got lost.

“I was very concerned because I have a doggie door and my dog has access to the yard to go inside and out so I was very concerned about my dog. It went through all the neighborhoods to get to my yard,” said Weeks.

NMDGF says the cat was taken to northern New Mexico and released. They also want to encourage the public that if you do run into a mountain lion, to remain calm. Trying to appear large and slowly backing away is the best thing to do.

The agency did report earlier this week that a mountain lion was spotted on the La Luz Trail and was aggressive. They say the sightings in the neighborhood are becoming more common as animals look for food.