A young mountain lion spotted near Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights earlier this week has been found and captured — welcome news for dog owners and anyone who prefers their evening walks free of surprise maulings.

Driving the news: Law enforcement and wildlife officials yesterday safely apprehended and tranquilized the two-year-old cougar, who was hiding in a crevice between two apartment buildings on California Street.

• Officials plan to release it back into its natural habitat.

Catch up quick: The big cat was first spotted Sunday night near Lafayette Park before disappearing into the nearby maze of backyards and stairways — a detour officials believe happened after it got lost.

State of play: The rare sighting rattled residents in the area, who were surprised to see the apex predator prowling the streets and sidewalks near their homes.

• Resident Roxanne Blank described coming home from a nearby bar Monday at 3am to find the 77-pound creature walking down her block near Vallejo and Franklin streets and up the steps to a pathway next to her apartment.
• "I was nervous the next morning when I went to examine the scratch marks it left in the concrete — that's when it hit me how lucky I was," Blank, who shared a video of the sighting, told Axios.

Resident Jessica Fajardo lives in the adjacent apartment building on the fifth floor with a fire escape overlooking the crevice where the mountain lion was sheltering early Tuesday.

• Her morning started at 6am with an unexpected wake-up call from Animal Care & Control requesting access to her apartment. Officials proceeded to stake out the area for hours before firing several tranquilizing shots.
• "It was very clearly, just huge," she told Axios. "It's just crazy that it was roaming around San Francisco."

😮‍💨 Nadia's thought bubble: I'm so relieved it didn't make it to my neck of the woods near Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle since those parks can look like an open invitation to wild animals navigating their way through the city.

Flashback: The last confirmed mountain lion sighting was in 2021 in Bernal Heights.

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Can the promise of a Central Subway extension help anchor the campaign to save San Francisco public transit? That was the question hanging over a city hearing in which officials estimated the cost could near $2 billion.

The big picture: District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter is leading a renewed push to extend the Central Subway to North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) faces route and service cuts amid $300 million annual deficits.

State of play: At a land use and transportation committee hearing Monday, Sauter said that although transit funding measures should be the city's primary focus, "we also need to give people something bigger and better to keep our city excited."

• Sauter, who campaigned on the extension, has said it would drive foot traffic to northeast San Francisco and bolster economic growth, especially since an unfinished tunnel section to North Beach already exists from the first phase of construction.
• Several speakers expressed similar support during public comment, highlighting the extension as an investment for future generations and the capacity for greater movement among neighborhoods.

Yes, but: The one-mile extension was estimated to cost $1.6 billion in 2020, according to SFMTA senior manager Sean Kennedy.

What they're saying: Nick Ferris, president of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers neighborhood association, told Axios that although he wants a train stop, the city can't plan "in some kind of fantasy budget."

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☕ Peet's Coffee will close at least three locations in Cole Valley, the Castro and on Polk Street by Saturday amid a takeover by the company that owns Dr. Pepper. (SF Standard)

👀 State Sen. Scott Wiener is poised to secure the California Democratic Party's endorsement in the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress after winning more than 77 % of delegate support in a pre‑endorsement vote. (SF Chronicle)

🎉 Hundreds of people who grew up hanging out at the now‑closed San Francisco Centre mall gathered outside its doors for a final celebratory "dead mall" party. (SF Standard)

🚪 Cadillac Bar & Grill, a Mexican restaurant on Mid-Market, has closed after 30 years. (SF Chronicle)

The Trump administration has drawn record-setting protests nationwide, prompting millions of Americans to learn how to safely and legally exercise their right to demonstrate.

Why it matters: The right to assemble and demonstrate is covered by the First Amendment, but there are still legal limits on protests that participants need to be aware of, particularly when tensions are high.

Here's what to know:

• Protestors should safeguard themselves by staying on public property.
• Blocking traffic is one of the most common reasons protestors are arrested, Kylah Clay, national secretary of the National Lawyers Guild, tells Axios.
• In public spaces, protesters may photograph or videotape anything in plain view, including police activity.

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You wonderful Axios SF readers voted and the consensus is clear: Caramel deLites — also known as Samoas — are your favorite Girl Scout cookie.

• Thin Mints should've been the only correct answer — but alas, my personal go-to was edged out. (Caramel deLites are my second favorite though!)

The crisp, ring-shaped cookies won with 33.7% of the vote, followed by Thin Mints (31.7%) and Peanut Butter Patties or Tagalongs (16.3%) and Peanut Butter Sandwich or Do-si-dos (6.7%).

• Adventurefuls and Caramel Chocolate Chip tied for fewest votes.

For the record, the other three Axios SF team members also named Caramel deLites as their favorite.

What's next: Order yours now online or wait until next Wednesday when local troops begin selling at in-person booths.