A BOY has been left with serious injuries after a mountain lion grabbed him by the head in a vicious attack.
The five-year-old was with his family at Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, California, on Sunday when he was mauled by the animal.
The incident took place just before 4:30 pm when a group of children were playing together in the busy picnic area of Tapia Park.
Around 40 people are believed to have been in the vicinity when the mountain lion targeted the little boy, grabbing him by the head and trying to drag him away.
“It was huge. The mountain lion was not scared at all,” the child’s aunt told KTLA.
As the mountain lion made its move on the child, the aunt recalled the screams for help and the boy’s father’s quick thinking that saw him fight the animal with his bare hands.
“Somebody screamed the baby’s name, and the dad started running,” she recalled.
“The father grabbed the mountain lion with his hands and he just fought and then the mountain lion let go.”
He was airlifted from the park to Northridge Hospital Medical Center where he was found to have non-life-threatening injuries.
The boy sustained serious cuts and scratches to his face and his eyes are believed to have been damaged.
Though the boy was released from the hospital on Sunday evening, his family took him back to the ER due to complications with his eyes.
No further details about the boy’s condition are known.
The father grabbed the mountain lion with his hands and he just fought.
Family member of victim
Three agencies responded to the incident – Los Angeles Fire and Rescue, State Wildlife officers, and the National Park Service.
The mountain lion was located in the area after the attack, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Officers spotted the animal in a tree where it remained until State Parks rangers arrived.
The mountain lion was killed by a park ranger after it was deemed a danger to the public.
“California State Parks (State Parks) rangers and Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies responded to a report of a mountain lion attack at Malibu Creek State Park on Sunday, September 1, at 4:21 p.m. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) wildlife officers, National Park Service personnel, and Los Angeles Fire and Rescue also responded.
“A family group from Woodland Hills was having a picnic at Malibu Creek State Park, consisting of at least six adults and a few children. The children were playing in the immediate vicinity of the family’s picnic table when a mountain lion attacked a 5-year-old boy, causing significant but non-life-threatening injuries.
“One or more adults charged at the lion, and it released the boy. Multiple witnesses saw the attack and observed the mountain lion climb up a nearby tree.
“The lion remained in the tree until State Parks rangers arrived. In consultation with CDFW wildlife officers, they deemed the mountain lion a threat to public safety and a ranger euthanized it via firearm.
“The boy was airlifted to the Northridge Hospital Medical Center for treatment of his injuries and was eventually released in the early morning hours of Monday, September 2.
“Per standard protocol, wildlife officers contacted the victim and family at the hospital to obtain evidence samples from the bite and scratch wounds and the victim’s clothing.
“Those evidence samples were confirmed a DNA match by CDFW’s Wildlife Forensic Lab in Sacramento.
“CDFW and State Parks officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured.”
State officials have since confirmed that DNA evidence taken from the mountain lion matches that taken from the child’s wounds and clothing.
After the attack, other parkgoers revealed their horror at what happened over Labor Day weekend.
“I thought that maybe there is like some wild animals around here but this is like weird,” one told KTLA.
“You never know, because there is a mountain up here so they can come from nowhere and attack you,” another warned.
An investigation into the incident is being carried out by California State Parks.
“CDFW and State Parks officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured,” CDFW said in a statement on Facebook.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to California State Parks for comment.
