In a heroic act, a mother from Southern California punched and wrestled a mountain lion that was about to drag away her 5-year-old son.
The mother jumped to rescue when she saw the ferocious beast attacking her son. As per reports, the 65 pounds (30kg) young male brute “appeared from nowhere” and targeted the small kid.
The incident occurred on 26 August when the child was playing outside his house near Calabasas in Los Angeles County.
The incident took place in Southern California’s Calabasas area on Thursday, when the giant yellow cat “dragged the boy about 45 yards” across the lawn behind the house, California department of fish and wildlife, Captain Patrick Foy told The Guardian.
The mother rushed out of the house when she heard some disturbances from her backyard, the authorities added while speaking to The Guardian.
She not only “punched” and wrestled the wild animal to protect her young child but also drove it away. The unnamed woman has now gained the title ‘hero’ from the localities and the authorities.
The little boy suffered physical and traumatic injuries. As per reports, he faced deep wounds on his chest, torso, and bruises on his head. His parents immediately rushed him to the hospital, where the hospital authorities alerted the wildlife department. Later shifted to a children’s hospital in Los Angeles and is stable now.
Mountain lions have a tendency to eliminate everything that approaches their way. These cats are ferocious, agile, and aggressive. They tend to approach their prey silently, attack them, and swiftly vanish into the woods. These often stay hidden in bushy areas to prevent themselves from being spotted.
Following the aforementioned characteristics, the forest department officials looked for the Cougar in the bushy areas around the Calabasa’s home, where it attacked the child. As Foy told the Guardian, the big cat “hissed” at him with its ears pulled backward.
Foy added “The department also conducted DNA tests to ensure that it was the same lion who jumped at the child.” The reports were conclusive that it was an “attacking lion,” Foy concluded.
Two other lions were recorded loitering around the neighborhood. One among them was a full-grown adult similar to the one killed in the incident. The officers tranquilized and released the lions in the forest of the wildlife department.
Image Credit: Wikipedia