Mountain lion spotted in Gilroy residential neighborhood

A photograph of a mountain lion taken by remote camera in the Sunol Regional Wilderness and the Ohlone Regional Wilderness in Sunol, California on July 26, 2013. A photograph of a mountain lion taken by remote camera in the Sunol Regional Wilderness and the Ohlone Regional Wilderness in Sunol, California on July 26, 2013. Photo: Steven Bobzien, East Bay Regional Park District Photo: Steven Bobzien, East Bay Regional Park District Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Mountain lion spotted in Gilroy residential neighborhood 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A mountain lion was spotted near a quiet residential neighborhood in Gilroy, police said Thursday.

A caller reported the mountain lion, to authorities Wednesday, according to the Gilroy Police Department.

It was spotted in the woods near Longmeadow Court and Carriage Hill Park, with rows of houses nearby, police said.

An ensuing search did not yield any signs of the mountain lion, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified of the sighting.

The Gilroy Police Department provided a number of tips on how to deal with mountain lions, which can be deadly to humans:

Never approach a mountain lion. Most will try to avoid confrontation given the chance to escape.

Don’t run, or the lion may chase. Make eye contact, and stand your ground — do not crouch or bend over.

Make yourself appear as large as you can: raise your arms, open up your jacket, wave your arms slowly and speak firmly and loudly to the lion.

If you are attacked, fight back with whatever you have at hand. People have survived mountain lion attacks by wielding rocks, sticks or whatever else is within reach.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley