Boy injured in 'vicious' mountain lion attack in San Mateo County, officials say - KGO-TV

1 year ago 47

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A 5-year-old lad was "viciously attacked" by a upland lion Tuesday nighttime successful an unincorporated country of San Mateo County, according to officials.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says that the lad could person died successful the attack, but the San Mateo County Sheriff has updated that helium is expected to recover.

The lad was connected a hike with his ma and gramps connected backstage spot erstwhile the upland lion went aft him and took him to the ground, Fish and Wildlife officials say.

The sheriff says the lad has puncture wounds and the DWF says the cougar was chewing connected him. Deputies responded to the onslaught astir 6:50 p.m. successful the 1000 artifact of Tunitas Creek Road, wherever the lad was conscious erstwhile helium was transported to the hospital.

The onslaught is said to person been unprovoked and the boy's ma saved his beingness by picking him up and carrying him to safety.

Game wardens are successful the country Wednesday greeting looking for the upland lion, with the volition "to seizure and region the animal."

MORE: What to bash if you travel face-to-face with a upland lion

DFW officials volition beryllium interviewing the parent and getting a illustration of the upland lion's DNA from the boy's clothing. That way, if they seizure the upland lion, they tin spot if it is the 1 who attacked the boy.

They can't corroborate that it was conscionable 1 cougar that attacked, oregon if it was a cub.

Video of the country surrounding Tunitas Creek Road shows conditions made for wildlife. It's the crushed wherefore neighbors accidental they aren't amazed to perceive astir a upland lion sighting -- but they are amazed implicit an attack.

In the hours that followed, ABC7 met a nonmigratory who lives connected the neighboring spot from wherever the incidental happened. He says helium was the archetypal 1 connected scene.

"They were beauteous calm erstwhile I pulled up, they're my neighbors truthful I asked them if they were okay. They were very... they were good. They said everybody's fine, but they had to speech to food and game, and a warden pulled up close arsenic I pulled out," neighbour Chad Conover said. "Typically the upland lions debar people, truthful it's not often you perceive astir an onslaught connected a human."

Conover says the lad was connected the backside of the property, a location wherever the child's genitor happened to beryllium working.

On Tuesday night, the sheriff's bureau released the pursuing connection successful effect to this incident:

"Our coastal assemblage has endured truthful overmuch these past fewer weeks. Our full bureau is saddened of this quality and sends galore lukewarm wishes to the kid for a speedy and afloat recovery. Our thoughts are with the household astatine this time."

Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details connected this processing story.