California mom fights off a MOUNTAIN LION with her bare hands after she saw it dragging her five-year-old son across front lawn – before the big cat was shot and killed by a wildlife officer
A California mother fought off a mountain lion with her bare hands after it attacked her five-year-old son and dragged him across the front lawn.
The 65-pound mountain lion came across the boy outside his home in Calabasas, in Los Angeles County, on Thursday and ‘dragged him about 45 yards,’ said Capt. Patrick Foy, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The boy’s mother had heard the commotion from inside and rushed to his aid, ‘punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands’ until it let go of her son and fled, Foy said. A wildlife officer later shot and killed the lion.
‘The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life.’
The parents immediately drove the boy to a nearby hospital. He suffered from traumatic injuries to his head and upper torso, but was reported to be in stable condition.
The authorities were then notified of the attack and went looking for the mountain lion.
An officer discovered the lion still nearby the home, couching in the bushes with its ‘ears back and hissing,’ officials said.
‘Due to its behavior and proximity to the attack, the warden believed it was likely the attacking lion and to protect public safety shot and killed it on site,’ the wildlife department said in a statement Saturday.
Two other mountain lions were spotted in the area and were tranquilized. DNA evidence found that they had not attacked the boy, nor had they had violent histories.
The tests confirmed that the lion who was shot and killed was the one who attacked the boy.
The other two lions were released back into the Santa Monica Mountains, where nearly 100 mountain lions are monitored using GPS radio-collars.
The lion that attacked the boy was found to have no such collar on it.
The attack was the first of its kind since 1995, according to the CDFW.
What to do if you come across a mountain lion?
• Stay calm and hold your ground or back away slowly
• Face the lion and stand upright
• Do not approach the lion and do not run from a lion
• Never crouch down of bend over in front of a mountain lion
• If it approaches you, do all you can to appear intimidating
• Wave your arms or yell in a loud voice
• If it continues to approach, begin throwing things at it
• Aim at its head to scare the animal away
If it attacks you, fight back
• Use whatever you can to help fight against the lion and do all you can to remain standing
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