Though there is no definite reason why a mountain lion attacked a small child in Tapia Park on Labor Day weekend, a necropsy found that the lion was underweight and had an empty stomach. No signs of disease or rabies were found in the young female cougar’s system. The animal grabbed the child while the family was picnicking, but released him when the adults charged him. He then fled up a nearby tree where witnesses pointed him out to park rangers. Those rangers determined that the lion was still sticking around, looking to possibly “engage with humans again,” according to California State Parks Superintendent Richard Fink. The animal was euthanized at the scene. The boy was airlifted to Northridge Hospital with significant but non-life-threatening injuries. In 2021 a mountain lion grabbed another small boy in Monte Nido. Again, wildlife officials cannot give a reason for these unprovoked attacks, but urge caution when in remote or mountainous regions.
