Calif. Lion Attack

[Jeff Eberle]

6-year-old boy suffered moderate injuries when a mountain lion attacked Sunday on a hiking trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains outside of Cupertino, Calif., local officials say.



The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department reported that the child was was injured while with family on a mid-day hike in an open space preserve area of the county south of San Francisco.



The injuries were not life threatening and described as moderate, sheriff's department Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said. The child and family were taken to a local hospital, and officials were interviewing them about the encounter, he said.

About 20 deputies and officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were searching the area for the animal. Hiking trails in the area were closed.

Stenderup said the search would end at dark. If it is located, a decision on what to do with the cat will rest with state wildlife officers, he said.



While attacks are rare, mountain lions are known to be present in much of California's wilderness and are sometimes seen in areas where homes and commercial development adjoin wildlands.

Stenderup said this incident took place on a well-traveled trail in an open-space preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains about two miles from a winery. It was in the area of Stevens Creek Reservoir outside the city of Cupertino, he said.

The area is known to be a mountain lion habitat, Stenderup said.

"We know mountain lions are up there, but attacks are very rare,'' he said.


337 CONNECT 46 TWEETLINKEDIN 49 COMMENT

[pegleg]

why is it always the innocent ones that get mauled? i always wish it was a damn anti.but i guess thats the way it goes. hope it works out. some people just believe they are so much more then meat and that compassion and understanding keeps you from becoming tartare.

[bchoundman]

antis getting attacked. hahahahaha that would have to be a geeky nerd cougar that pounches over computer screens to attack uneducated city idiots. allways shitty to hear a child attacked

[Rimrock]

I can't find a link to it, but California has a new law passed that says Fish & Wildlife has to try to relocate a problem mountain lion rather than killing it.

[Jeff Eberle]

Crews delay search for mountain lion that attacked boy

Tracking dogs became exhausted during Bay Area search

Published 3:48 PM PDT Sep 08, 2014
.Mountain lion generic
Mountain lion generic
SAN FRANCISCO —Authorities in Northern California have stopped searching for the day for a mountain lion that attacked a 6-year-old boy.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Patrick Foy said the search stalled Monday afternoon because a team of tracking dogs became exhausted while scouring rugged terrain for the big cat in humid conditions.

Foy says authorities will set a couple of live traps to try catching the animal before the search resumes Tuesday as expected.

Officials say the boy was released from the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on Monday, a day after suffering bite wounds and scratches on his head and neck while hiking with his family and others near the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino.

The boy's name hasn't been released.




Mountain lion attacks



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