LAKE FOREST, Calif. (KABC) -- Amazing video shows a mountain lion fondly named "Newport" living his best life in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Ruth Wardwell, an avid hiker, has spotted mountain lions in the wild in Orange County.

"It's very amazing to see the lions in our hiking areas because we live so close," she said.

Wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau said Newport looks healthy.

"His fur looks nice. He's nice and big," Girardeau said.

Newport, known to wildlife experts as M317, first stunned Orange County residents in 2022 after roaming around cities like Laguna Beach and Newport Beach before being captured and released -- not once but twice.

"It's exciting because Newport made his way through the city. He swam across a lake, and he became this local celebrity," Girardeau said.

See Full Page