Five-Year-Old California Boy Beats the Odds, Survives Mountain Lion Attack
A 5-year-old boy survived a vicious mountain lion attack on Tuesday night. The child’s family was hiking when the animal pounced on him.
Relatives of the boy identified him as Jack. He and his mom survived the lion attack after bravely fighting the animal.
The lion attack happened around 6:50 pm on Tunitas Creek Road, close to the Half Moon Bay area. Jack and his mom were hiking near their farm.
BREAKING: #BNNUS Reports.
A child was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after a mountain lion attack in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, California according to authorities.#Accident #Envirorment #SanMateo #BayArea #SanFrancisco #California #MountainLion pic.twitter.com/lyZUdZsW2d
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) February 1, 2023
Officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the lion, which might be a cub, suddenly arrived and attacked Jack. The animal then began mauling his face.
According to a GoFundMe that his aunt posted, Jack incurred some wounds. Jack’s aunt Amie Wagner wrote, “That mountain lion picked the wrong kid and mama to mess with.”
Jack survived with battle lacerations on his face, cuts, bruises, and scratches. He also had a fracture close to his eye. Wagner said that despite this, “his spirit remains intact.”
GoFundMe stated, “They are a hard-working, amazing family, dedicating their life’s work to running a program for the area’s homeless population on the farm, in addition to a program that serves underprivileged students.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently investigating the lion attack. Capt. Patrick Foy told PEOPLE that they aim to find the big cat responsible for the incident.
5-year-old boy saved by mom after terrifying California mountain lion attack https://t.co/reRLVWpnZT pic.twitter.com/FxLRnrUVXh
— New York Post (@nypost) February 1, 2023
Foy said, “I’m just very glad that little boy is going to be okay.” The investigators will get a DNA sample from Jack’s clothes and wounds to find the lion.
The officer also said his team would check the area and search for mountain lions. Once they catch any lions and get a match to the DNA, they will remove it.
Foy added that although the injuries were not severe, they were traumatic. He also added that there is a low possibility of experiencing a lion attack.
But if you ever encounter one, stand firm and shout aggressively, Foy said. In addition, having a whistle can easily scare an animal away.
Foy gave additional advice when facing a lion attack. “If attacked, fight back as if your life depended on it.” He confirmed that Jack and his mom “did everything right.”
According to Foy, there have been 21 lion attacks in California since 1986. Ten of these cases involve children.
An advocacy group, Bay Area Puma Project, educates nearby residents on how to live with lions safely. The group told Fox 9 that the lion responsible for the attack might be one of the two cubs strolling around the area with their mother.
For more interesting news and articles, check out Inquirer.net.
