Authorities say a wildlife officer shot and killed a mountain lion that attacked a 5-year-old boy in southern California. The boy’s mother fights the mountain lion before the officer killed him.
On Thursday in Calabasas, a 65-pound (30kg) mountain lion attacked the boy while he was playing near his house. It “dragged him about 45 yards” across the front lawn, according to Captain Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The child had major head and upper torso injuries. But was in stable condition at a Los Angeles hospital, according to Foy.
“The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life,” Foy said. The mother was inside the house when she heard a commotion outside.
“She ran out of the house and started punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son,” he said. Mother fights mountain lion and does everything to save her child.
The boy’s parents rushed him to the hospital. They alerted the law enforcement. Then, they dispatched a wildlife officer to the spot.
When the police arrived at the residence, he spotted a mountain lion crouching in the bushes. Its “ears back and hissing” at him, according to Foy.
“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 sight,” the wildlife department said in a statement.
According to the statement, DNA tests revealed that the lion was the one who attacked the child.
Another mountain lion seen in the area was tranquilized and released uninjured into the wild after being tested to ensure it was not involved in the incident.
