A five-year-old boy has been seriously injured after he was mauled by a mountain lion and dragged away by his head.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The boy was with his family at Malibu Creek State Park, California, on Sunday, September 1, and was playing with a group of children when the mountain lion approached.
The animal clamped its jaws around the boy’s head and started dragging him away into the nearby woods.
‘It was huge. The mountain lion was not scared at all,’ his aunt told KTLA.
There were around 40 other people in the picnic area at Tapia park when the attack happened.
HOW THE BOY WAS RESCUED
As the boy and onlookers screamed for help, his dad fought the mountain lion with his bare hands to save his son.
His aunt added: ‘Somebody screamed the baby’s name, and the dad started running.
‘The father grabbed the mountain lion with his hands and he just fought and then the mountain lion let go.’
The boy was airlifted to Northridge Hospital Medical Center where his injuries were assessed as non-life-threatening.
He suffered serious cuts and scratches to his face, and his eyes are understood to have been damaged during the attack.
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The mountain lion was found in the area after the attack and it remained in a tree until State Parks rangers arrived.
It was killed by a ranger after it was deemed a danger to the public, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
DNA taken from the mountain lion matched samples taken from the boy’s wounds and clothing, confirming that they had killed the correct animal.
