Mountain lion euthanized after attacking 6-year-old on California trail, officials say
A mountain lion that attacked a 6-year-old girl Sunday has been killed, wildlife officials say.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife located and trapped the mountain lion that was responsible for an attack on a young girl, according to a Thursday news release. Officials decided the animal needed to be euthanized.
“Mountain lion attacks are rare,” Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Area Superintendent Brad Pennington said in the news release. “Fortunately, the child’s injuries were minor. Unfortunately, the behavior exhibited by this mountain lion indicated it was a danger to public safety.”
The 6-year-old girl was walking on a trail at the Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve in Cupertino when a mountain lion jumped at her, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
An adult punched the mountain lion in the ribs to get it off the girl, KGO reported. She had minor injuries.
“Right about when it grabbed ahold of the girl, there was an adult there that pushed the lion away into the bushes, and it ran off,” Pennington told KGO. “She has minor injuries, a couple puncture wounds on her calf, and she was treated for minor first aid. Then, her parents took her to the hospital.”
The mountain lion was female, weighed between 60 and 70 pounds and was between 2 and 4 years old, Fish and Wildlife said. That size is small for a full-grown mountain lion, Pennington said in the news release.
“(That) can mean she wasn’t thriving,” he said. “Mountain lions face a lot of challenges. They need large, connected areas of habitat. Our region is divided by roads and development, which puts wildlife closer to people and us closer to the wildlife.”
The attack was the second mountain lion attack that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had on record this year. It was the 17th attack since 1986, according to data the department keeps.
