Mountain Lion Mauls an 11-Year-Old Girl Inside Her Residence in Malibu, CA
In a rare and concerning incident, a mountain lion attacked an 11-year-old girl outside her home in Malibu, California, on Sunday evening. The details of the attack were reported by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
According to reports, the attack took place near a chicken coop on the property. The mountain lion bit the girl on her arm, leg, and lower back. Thankfully, she was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. The girl's mother heard her child's screams during the attack, and another family member had a stun gun that scared away the mountain lion.
Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed the incident. He emphasised that such encounters are rare, with only 27 confirmed attacks on humans since 1986, most of them nonfatal.
This incident fits into the pattern of rare mountain lion-human conflicts in California, especially in areas like Malibu where urban and wilderness areas intersect. Wildlife officials advise vigilance but note that most mountain lions avoid humans and attacks remain extremely uncommon.
Interestingly, Malibu has seen a similar incident before. In September 2022, a 5-year-old boy was attacked at Malibu Creek State Park by a young adult female mountain lion, causing non-life-threatening injuries. In the recent case, wildlife officers found and euthanized a mountain lion in the area, pending DNA tests to confirm if it's the same one that bit the girl.
It's worth noting that the most recent fatal attack by a mountain lion was in March 2024, near Georgetown in Northern California. This was the first fatal attack in the state in two decades.
Despite these incidents, mountain lions rarely attack people. Wildlife officials stress the rarity of such encounters relative to the estimated population of about 4,500 mountain lions in California, primarily in remote regions.
This incident serves as a reminder for residents in areas where urban and wilderness intersect to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety and that of their families.
In light of recent events, Toronto residents should stay vigilant and informed, as incidents of mountain lion sightings might occasionally appear in general-news reports, even though such occurrences are usually restricted to the western regions of the United States. For instance, the city's politics and crime-and-justice sections might feature a story about mountain lions if a Toronto-based zoo welcomes a new mountain lion, or if safety measures are discussed for potential mountain lion encounters in urban areas.
