A mountain lion bit an 11-year-old child while she was outside her home in Malibu over the weekend. She was rushed to the hospital after the attack.
According to a report by KTLA, the incident occurred on August 10 shortly after 5:30 PM. Officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call at the 32500 block of Pacific Coast Highway. The outlet explains that early reports suggest the child was feeding chickens at the property at the time. The mountain lion reportedly bit them on the arm, and while their injuries required hospital treatment, authorities expect them to be fine.
A report by ABC7 reveals that the victim was a young girl. She was in the backyard when the mountain lion approached. The outlet also clarifies that she suffered injuries to her arm, leg, and lower back.
The Sheriff’s Department Tracked Down The Mountain Lion
KTLA explains that the attack triggered a response from multiple emergency crews, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials tracked down and euthanized the lion. DNA samples from the girl will be checked against samples from the lion to ensure it was the correct animal.
ABC7 says authorities found a mountain lion hiding behind the property after the attack. The outlet reveals that while authorities have killed a lion, hikers using the nearby Charmlee Wilderness Park remain concerned. One hiker, Yann Dacquay, told ABC7, “I heard a kid got hurt. It’s terrible, it’s definitely something we get concerned about. I just hope whoever was involved in this attack is doing okay and recovering.” He added, “We do live with nature and try to co-exist. Unfortunately, these things are going to happen.”
The outlet points out that mountain lions are not uncommon in parts of Southern California. However, Beth Pratt, regional director of the California National Wildlife Federation, stressed that attacks are rare. “Try to put the risk in perspective. In the last 100 years in California, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, about 50 attacks on people. And six or seven of those have been fatal,” she said. “You are in much more danger getting on the 101 driving, where we have 4000 deaths per year,” Pratt added.
Pratt told ABC7 reporters that you shouldn’t run if you encounter a mountain lion. “You want to take some measures to look as big as possible,” she said. “You want to show that mountain lion you’re aware of it, and you’re big.”