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1 Killed, 1 Injured in California Mountain Lion Attack
A mountain lion killed a 21-year-old man and injured his 18-year-old brother in El Dorado County, California on Sunday while the pair was searching the woods for deer antlers.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call Sunday afternoon from an 18-year-old man who said his older brother had been attacked by a mountain lion in a remote part of the county. According to a press release, the two had become separated and the 18-year-old had suffered “traumatic injuries to his face” during the attack.
Deputies and paramedics located the reporting party and administered aid while others continued to search for his 21-year-old brother. When they found the missing man, he was already deceased and the mountain lion was crouching nearby between the deputies and the man. The deputies fired weapons to scare the mountain lion away.
Wardens and trappers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the El Dorado County Trapper responded and killed the mountain lion soon after. Officials collected DNA samples to confirm that it was the same animal. “The male mountain lion weighed about 90 pounds and appeared to be in healthy condition,” according to CDFW.
Although mountain lions are common in California, attacks are rare. According to CDFW, this is the first fatality from a mountain lion attack since 2004. Forensic scientists will continue to investigate whether the mountain lion in this incident had any underlying health conditions that might have precipitated the attack.
The younger brother has undergone multiple surgeries and is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries. Per a spokesperson for the family, “the family is grateful for the prayers and condolences from the community however wishes for privacy in order to process this tragic event.”
None of the multiple GoFundMe pages that have been set up in support of the family are associated with or authorized by the family.
Featured image: A mountain lion photographed in Santa Monica National Park. National Park Service photo
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Comments 1
“None of the multiple GoFundMe pages that have been set up in support of the family are associated with or authorized by the family.”
Unbelievable times we live in. With the fines garnered (self-funding) and protections afforded (and reducing/preventing just these sorts of crimes in the future), this sort of thing should be legislated against and enforced with extreme prejudice.