Free Republic

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Wildlife officers on Wednesday were tracking a mountain lion that attacked a 7-year-old boy and prompted the closure of a sprawling Southern California park, authorities said. The child and his father were walking up stairs at Pico Canyon Park near Santa Clarita around dusk on Monday when a cougar emerged from brush and bit the boy on the buttocks, said Capt. Patrick Foy with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Foy said the father, who was walking behind, heard his son cry out and charged toward the big cat. “The lion let go and retreated...

The four-year-old had scratches on her stomach and arm after the mountain lion picked her up. REXBURG — A four-year-old girl who was snatched up by a mountain lion Friday night is recovering from the scary encounter, according to her grandfather. ... The child was camping with her mother, siblings and cousins near Green Canyon Hot Springs east of Rexburg on Aug. 12. Sevy said as the family was eating dinner, the girl’s mother thought she spotted a big cat out of the corner of her eye. “Nobody else thought much of it and, a short time later, her mom...

A 6-year-old boy is in the hospital after being attacked by a mountain lion Sunday afternoon on a hiking trail near a winery in Cupertino ... A game warden, Travis Jarrett, told NBC Bay Area the boy's parents had to fight off the mountain lion. "The cat did make contact with the boy, did end up taking him into a brushy area, his parents did fight the animal off," he said. "He suffered enough injuries to the point that he was needing immediate medical attention. He had to be immediately hospitalized."