Mountain lion

A mountain lion was seen sitting in a tree for more than 10 hours on Monday, officials say.

A mountain lion sat in a tree on Tucson's east side for more than 10 hours Monday, wildlife officials say.

The mountain lion was spotted 10- to 15-feet above ground in a tree in the 8600 block of East Woodland Road, near East Tanque Verde and East Wrightstown roads, saidย Mark Hart, an Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman.

Hart said the mountain lion was first spotted about 10:30 a.m. Monday and was still in the tree about 9 p.m.ย 

It was seen again in the early morning hours on Tuesday but was on the ground. Hart says the mountain lion may have used washes to get to the Tanque Verde area.ย 

It's currently unknown why the mountain lion sat in the tree for so long, but it came down on its own and may have wandered back into the Catalina Mountains. There were no injuries.

This is the fourth confirmed mountain lion sighting in outlying Tucson areasย โ€” SaddleBrooke, Gates Pass and Ventana Canyonย โ€”ย since December, Hart says.

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Contact reporter Gloria Knott at gknott@tucson.com or 573-4235. On Twitter: @gloriaeknott