Mountain lion attack in northern California is first fatality in decades

The older brother was killed in Saturday’s attack, the first recorded fatal mountain lion incident in California in 20 years, authorities said.

Within hours, the mountain lion was euthanized near the scene, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

As of Sunday evening, officials had not publicly identified the brothers but said the 18-year-old had undergone multiple surgeries and was likely to make a full recovery. His family ‘appreciates the community’s prayers and condolences’ [but] The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Sunday that “privacy is desired to allow for the processing of this tragic incident.”

On Sunday night, the state wildlife department confirmed that DNA from the attack scene matched that of the euthanized mountain lion. The department said the 90-pound animal was in good condition.

While it’s not uncommon for mountain lions to roam trails used by humans, they tend to stay away from humans, said Winston Vickers, a research wildlife veterinarian at the University of California, Davis.

He said it was difficult to pinpoint risk factors because attacks were so rare, but research had found that if children were present or the individual was moving erratically, an attack was more likely to occur and result in death.

“When you look at the statistics, there’s a little bit of everything,” Vickers said.

The younger brother called 911 to report the assault around 1 p.m. Saturday, the Sheriff’s Department said. The brothers had been hunting from antler sheds in the area.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found the teen who had “severe injuries to his face” and began rendering aid, according to the Sheriff’s Department. They also began searching for the 21-year-old brother.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, deputies spotted him around 1:45 p.m. and fired shots to scare away the animal and cleared the area to render aid, but the 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. .

Saturday’s incident was the first recorded fatal cougar attack on a human since January 2004, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In the 2004 incident, a 35-year-old man was killed at Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County. Since then, 12 non-fatal mountain lion attacks have been verified by the state wildlife department. The most recent recorded attack occurred in September 2022.

The latest attack is one of 22 verified since March 1986, four of which, including Saturday’s attack, were fatal, state wildlife department data shows.

Mountain lions are a specially protected species under California law. The wildlife department said the animals “are often solitary and elusive.”

Although the agency reviews hundreds of sightings each year, mountain lion attacks on humans are rare. According to the department, a person is 1,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion.

Vickers said people spending time outdoors should be vigilant on trails and be as prepared as possible. He said bear spray or a swinging cane can be effective in protecting yourself.

“It’s easy to get scared, but other types of injuries are much more likely to occur,” Vickers said. “People are not going to give up swimming in the ocean just because an occasional shark attack occurs.”