Current:Home > BackMountain lion attacks boy at California picnic; animal later euthanized with firearm-InfoLens
Mountain lion attacks boy at California picnic; animal later euthanized with firearm
View Date:2024-12-23 11:16:40
A mountain lion attacked and severely injured a five-year-old boy during a family picnic at a Los Angeles County park, leading to official's decision to euthanize the animal.
The attack occurred Sunday around 4 p.m. local time at the Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. At least six adults were participating at the outing when the cougar approached the vicinity of a few children playing nearby.
The cougar scratched and bit the young boy, refusing to release him until one or more adults charged at it, the department said in a statement.
First responders airlifted the child to the Northridge Hospital Medical Center to be treated for severe, but non-life-threatening injuries. Medical staff cleared him early Monday morning.
Lion fatally shot after deemed threat to public safety
Moments after the attack, the mountain lion climbed up a nearby tree where it stayed until park rangers arrived, the department said.
After consulting with wildlife officers, rangers deemed that the panther was "a threat to public safety." A ranger killed the animal with a firearm.
"Officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured," the statement reads.
What to know about Arielle Valdes:Florida runner found dead after 5-day search
Mountain lion mauled two brothers in March
Earlier this year, a mountain lion mauled two brothers in a remote forest area about 15 miles north of Placerville, a small city located between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.
Taylen Robert Claude Brooks, 21, was killed while hiking with his brother Wyatt Brooks, 18, in the small community of Georgetown, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office confirmed. The siblings are from Mount Aukum, California − about 35 miles south of where the attack occurred.
Wildlife experts later tracked the cougar to a tree it climbed and killed it, according to the sheriff's office.
How big are mountain lions?
Sometimes called pumas and panthers, mountain lions usually weigh between 75-175 pounds and grown adults can stand as tall as 30 inches in height and 8 feet in length, according to the National Park Service.
The largest ever to be documented weighed 276 pounds, the U.S. federal agency says on its website. They mostly feed deer, according to wildlife experts, but eat other animals including elk and mice.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund
veryGood! (15718)
Related
- Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
- San Francisco considers lifting the Ferry Building by 7 feet to save it from the sea
- Mauricio Umansky Shares Kyle Richards' Reaction to Him Joining Dancing with the Stars
- Trump waives right to speedy trial as Georgia prosecutor seeks to try him with 18 others next month
- Question of a lifetime: Families prepare to confront 9/11 masterminds
- Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour is a cozy, hypersonic, soul-healing experience
- Norwegian princess to marry American self-professed shaman
- Taylor Swift Is a Denim Dream at Star-Studded MTV VMAs 2023 After-Party
- Only 8 monkeys remain free after more than a week outside a South Carolina compound
- UK economy shrinks in July amid bad weather and doctors’ strikes
Ranking
- NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
- Crimea shipyard burning after a Ukrainian attack and 24 are injured, Russian-installed official says
- Arizona lottery player $2.4 million richer after purchasing ticket at Tempe QuikTrip
- Ultra-Orthodox men block Jerusalem traffic in protest against Israeli military draft
- MLS Star Marco Angulo Dead at 22 One Month After Car Crash
- Poccoin: Meta to Allocate 20% of Next Year's Expenditure to Metaverse Project Reality Labs
- Climber survives 2,000-foot plunge down side of dangerous New Zealand mountain: He is exceptionally lucky to be alive
- Rwanda will host a company’s 1st small-scale nuclear reactor testing carbon-free energy approach
Recommendation
-
Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
-
Arizona lottery player $2.4 million richer after purchasing ticket at Tempe QuikTrip
-
Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour is a cozy, hypersonic, soul-healing experience
-
Lidcoin: NFT, A New Paradigm for Digital Art and Assets
-
Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
-
Drew Barrymore dropped as National Book Awards host after bringing show back during strikes
-
See Kelsea Ballerini's Jaw-Dropping Dress Change in the Middle of Her MTV VMAs Performance
-
Lidcoin: RWA, Reinventing An Outdated Concept