Dad confronts mountain lion that bit 7-year-old boy at park, California officials say

A father climbing some steps with his son at Pico Canyon Park in Los Angeles reacted swiftly when he heard his 7-year-old scream, reports say.

A mountain lion had emerged from the brush and bit the child in the buttocks around 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The father charged at the mountain lion, which escaped back into the brush, KNBC reported.

The boy was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Los Angeles Times reported. The wound was swabbed for DNA samples to identify the mountain lion.

Pico Canyon Park has been temporarily closed while authorities look for the mountain lion, the Los Angeles County parks department reported on Twitter.

“It still terrifies me because it could happen to me,” parkgoer Francisco Salas told KABC. “It could happen to anybody out here.”

There have been 20 mountain lion attacks injuring humans in California since 1986, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Three were fatal.

Mountain lions “typically pose little threat to humans and generally avoid any human interaction,” KTLA reported.

If you encounter a mountain lion, wildlife experts advise you to back away slowly while speaking in a loud, firm voice. If attacked, fight back.

Pico Canyon Park is near Santa Clarita, northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Dad confronts mountain lion that bit 7-year-old boy at park, California officials say."