HESPERIA, Calif. - Over the weekend firefighters helped rescue a mountain lion from a tree outside a home in Southern California.

ABC News reports, the homeowner spotted the animal Saturday afternoon while doing yard work in Hesperia. At the home, crews found the mountain lion on a branch about 50 feet above the ground.

Agents with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were called to help devise a plan to rescue the cougar.

"It is common for young mountain lions to wander outside what some would consider normal habitat in an attempt to establish their territory," Kevin Brennan, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Reports say wildlife officials ended up tranquilizing the animal. The large cat was then placed in a harness and lowered to the ground.

Officials later released it back into the wild.