Roland Preston-Mountain lion attacks 5-year-old at Southern California park and is euthanized

2025-05-07 06:10:06source:Databec Exchangecategory:Contact

MALIBU,Roland Preston Calif. (AP) — A mountain lion attacked a 5-year-old boy at a popular Southern California park over the holiday weekend and state rangers later euthanized the big cat, officials said Tuesday.

The child was attacked Sunday afternoon while playing near his family’s picnic table at Malibu Creek State Park west of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“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 child was airlifted to a hospital with injuries that were significant but not life-threatening, according to the statement. He was released Monday.

The cougar remained in the tree until state parks rangers arrived and determined it was a threat to the public. The animal was euthanized with a firearm, officials said.

Mountain lions rarely attack humans. About 20 attacks have been confirmed in California in more than a century of record-keeping, the Fish and Wildlife department said earlier this year.

In March, two adult brothers who were attacked, one fatally, by a mountain lion in Northern California tried to scare the cougar away once they realized it was stalking them, and then fought with the animal after it pounced.

In September 2023, a 7-year-old boy was bitten by a mountain lion while walking with his father around dusk in a park near Santa Clarita north of Los Angeles. The father scared the animal away, and the child was treated for relatively minor wounds.

More:Contact

Recommend

Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam

You're pulling your hair out, trying to fix something on your computer. You Google it and find what

How Selena Gomez Became the Mental Health Champion We All Needed

Selena Gomez is only 31, but she's been an important voice in the expanding arena of mental health a

You'll Bend and Snap for Reese Witherspoon and Daughter Ava Phillippe's Latest Twinning Moment

No little lies here: Reese Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe are totally twinning in their new selfie. W