The girl was playing near a chicken coop in her backyard on the evening of 10/8 when a mountain lion attacked her from behind, according to Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, on 11/8. The animal bit her arm, leg, and lower back.
The girl's mother heard her screams and ran to her aid with another child. "The mountain lion then chased after the mother and the other child," Tira said.
Another family member used a stun gun, making a "clicking" sound that scared the mountain lion away. The girl suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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A mountain lion in the Verdugos Mountains, California, in 2016. Photo: US National Park Service |
A mountain lion in the Verdugos Mountains, California, in 2016. Photo: US National Park Service
Wildlife officials later located a mountain lion in the area and euthanized it. They will conduct DNA testing to confirm whether it was the same animal that attacked the girl.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recorded 27 mountain lion attacks on humans since 1986, most of which were non-fatal. The most recent fatality occurred in 3/2024, when a 21-year-old man was killed by a mountain lion in Northern California.
In September of last year, a 5-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion while playing near his family's picnic table at Malibu Creek State Park in California. The boy was injured but survived.
Huyen Le (ABC News, Los Angeles Times)
