A California woman was referred to as a “hero” by state officials after bare-handed fighting off a mountain lion after it attacked her 5-year-old son.
The boy was playing on a tree near his home in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles, when a 65-pound mountain lion attacked him Thursday morning, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Department spokesman Patrick Foy told the Associated Press that the mountain lion “dragged him about 45 meters” in front of his mother., came to the rescue.
“She ran out of the house and started beating and beating the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him from her son,” said Foy. “The real hero of this story is his mother because she absolutely saved her son’s life.”
Foy told CBSLA that the boy’s mother noticed the attack when she heard her son scream. He added the boy suffered traumatic injuries to his head and trunk and was taken to a children’s hospital in Los Angeles.
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After law enforcement was informed of the attack, wildlife officials went to the family home when an officer spotted an “aggressive” mountain lion in a corner of the property. Officials said because of the behavior and location of the mountain lion they “believed the attacking lion was likely to be shot and killed to protect public safety” on the property, which turned out to be true.
“Forensic scientists from wild animals analyzed samples under the claws of the suspected lion carcass and isolated traces of human tissue and blood with a DNA profile that matched the young victim,” the department said. “The results were conclusive that it was the attacking lion that was shot by the wildlife officer on site.”
Shortly after the alleged mountain lion was killed, two other mountain lions appeared, including a full-grown adult with a radio collar and one similar to the dead lion.
Citing safety concerns, officers used a non-lethal sedative on the similar un-collared mountain lion. After it was confirmed that the stunned mountain lion was not involved in the attack, it was released back into the wild.
The size of the late mountain lion, officials said, suggested it was a kitten that was born less than a year ago. Experts told CBSLA that the attack may have happened because the boy was small and the mountain lion is still trying to learn how to hunt for food.
Contributor: Associated Press
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