A California mother has made headlines after she repeatedly punched a mountain lion with her bare hands after the animal attacked and dragged her 5-year-old son.
As reported by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in a statement, a 65-pound mountain lion attacked the child on Thursday, dragging him around 45 yards just outside their home before his mother leaped in to save him. After she heard him yelling for help, she ran after the mountain lion and attacked it until she was able to free her son.
“She ran out of the house and started punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Patrick Foy. “The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life.” The child was promptly taken to a hospital in Los Angeles for injuries he sustained to his head and torso during the attack.
Shortly after the incident, law enforcement officials went to the family’s home to discover an “aggressive” mountain lion. Due to the attack, officials said they “believed it was likely the attacking lion and to protect public safety” and subsequently “shot and killed it.” Evidence pointed towards this being true, reports suggest.
“Wildlife Forensics Scientists analyzed samples from underneath the claws of the suspect lion carcass and isolated traces of human tissue and blood with a DNA profile that matched the young victim,” said the department. “Results were conclusive that it was the attacking lion that was shot by the wildlife officer on scene.”
