The mountain lion that attacked a boy in Colorado last week has been euthanized, wildlife officials said on Aug. 26.
DNA test results confirmed that one of two mountain lions euthanized last week was the mountain lion that attacked and seriously injured the 8-year-old, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The boy and his brother were playing outside on a trampoline Wednesday evening in Bailey, about 45 miles southwest of Denver, when the 8-year-old heard a friend calling him from a neighbor’s house, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
As he ran to visit the friend, he was attacked by the mountain lion and bitten on his head, according to wildlife officials.
The boy’s running likely triggered the animal’s “natural response to a prey animal running,” said Area Wildlife Manager Mark Lamb.
His brother went into the house to tell their father what was happening and the father ran to the boy’s aid.
“The father rushed outside and found the mountain lion on top of his son. The mountain lion let go of the child as the father approached and took off running,” officials said.
The child sustained serious injuries during the attack and has undergone two surgeries so far, Platt Canyon Fire and Protection said in a Facebook post on Monday.
“He continues to persevere and remain brave while healing, the post read. “Your ongoing thoughts, prayers, and support are appreciated.”
CPW officers and USDA Wildlife Services officials were already in the area searching for the mountain lion responsible for the attack when they found two male mountain lions eating a domestic goat.
Wildlife officers set a trap near the scene of the mountain lion attack in Bailey, Colo., Wednesday evening. A dog team was also used overnight trying to track down the mountain lion from the attack. Efforts are ongoing Thursday to locate the mountain lion. pic.twitter.com/OBWr2efQj2
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) August 22, 2019
The lions were both euthanized as they fit the description of the attacking lion and were close to the site.
Wildlife officials conducted a necropsy and DNA tests on them to determine if they were responsible for the attack and found that one was a match.
There have been 22 mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado since 1990, including three fatalities, wildlife officials said.
And this is the third attack by a mountain lion on a person in Colorado so far this year.
On Aug. 10, a man said he used a pocket knife to fight off a mountain lion after it attacked him. Richard Marriott, a hunter, said the animal began to stalk him on a moonlight trail at Big Horn Park.
Marriot said he regrets not having a gun with him. “I think I would have been able to give it a warning shot and hopefully it would have ran off,” he said.
A picture posted on social media by Aspen News shows the man posing with the animal in the back of a truck.
In February, a jogger choked a mountain lion to death after the animal attacked him.
After the attack, the CPW posted on Twitter that attacks by mountain lions are not common in the state.
By now you’ve likely heard the news of the mountain lion attack at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space.
These attacks are not common in Colorado.
Here’s what to do if you encounter a mountain lion: pic.twitter.com/xPYfJ2Bb0w
— CO Parks & Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) February 5, 2019
The Associated Press and Epoch Times reporters Janita Kan and Simon Veazey contributed to this report.
