After receiving reports of multiple sightings near Sausalito, officers from the California Department of Fish & Game closed in on an electrician eating lunch in his van on Saturday. The working-class individual, thought to have been fully eradicated the county a decade ago, appeared confused and scared as he was collared by a catch pole, sedated and fitted with an electronic tracker. He was released without incident.
“They let him go?” said Maureen Gristell, of Mill Valley, who was sheltering in place while the tradesman was on the loose. “I mean, I’m glad they didn’t put him down. But they should have released him somewhere like, say, Rohnert Park. He’d have more space to drink beer in his driveway, and we’d all be safe.”
Geoff Brint, an AI Healthcare Coordinator who moved to Sausalito during the pandemic, had a more nuanced perspective. “While once an important part of the local ecosystem, he’s no longer well adapted to find food and shelter in this environment. But he’s welcome to rewire my garage any time.”
Authorities say they are actively monitoring the manual laborer, who they are referring to as B-147. "We have no reason to believe he is particularly dangerous," said one Fish and Game official. But he urged caution for anyone hoping to spot the last native example of this vanished species. "We're asking the community to avoid the area around Marin Joe's after nightfall," he added.