Mountain Lion Euthanized After Attacking 5-Year-Old Boy

A mountain lion that attacked a 5-year-old boy at a Southern California park over the weekend was euthanized by state rangers, officials said on Tuesday.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said in a statement that the boy was attacked by the bit cat on Sunday afternoon at Malibu Creek State Park—located about 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles—while he played with other children near a picnic table.

“One or more adults charged at the lion, and it released the boy,” the statement said. “Multiple witnesses saw the attack and observed the mountain lion climb up a nearby tree.”

The boy’s aunt spoke to the local news station KTLA, an affiliate of The CW, about the incident.

“Somebody screamed the baby’s name, and his dad started running,” the woman, who asked not to be identified, told KTLA. “The father grabbed the mountain lion with his hands, and he just fought. Then the mountain lion let go.”

The CDFW statement said the child was airlifted to a hospital with “serious” but non-threatening injuries before he was released on Monday.

“The lion remained in the tree until state parks rangers arrived,” the fish and wildlife agency’s statement said. “In consultation with CDFW wildlife officers, they deemed the mountain lion a threat to public safety and a ranger euthanized it via firearm.”

The statement added, “CDFW and State Parks officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured.”

According to CDFW, mountain lions rarely attack humans.

“A person is one thousand times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion,” CDFW says on its website. “Since 1890, there have been less than 50 verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California, including six fatal incidents.”

The news website SFGate wrote that the Santa Monica Mountains, where Malibu Creek State Park is located, are home to “about 10 to 15 adult and subadult mountain lions at any given time, in addition to kittens,” and that the population there “is increasingly threatened by habitat that’s been lost to development in the hills and fragmented by major freeways.”

Though mountain lion attacks are rare, CDFW’s website does include tips for people should they ever encounter one of the big cats:

• Stay alert on trails. Keep pets leashed and walk with small children, don’t let them run ahead.
• Never approach a mountain lion. Give them an escape route.
• DO NOT RUN. Stay calm. Do not turn your back.
• Face the animal, make loud noise and try to look bigger. If with small children, put them on your shoulders.
• Do not crouch down or bend over.