May 27, 2019 (Los Penasquitos) -- A young child has been transported to a hospital with head injuries after being attacked by a mountain lion around 2:30 p.m. today at the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.
Witnesses told 10 News that the boy's father threw rocks to scare off the lion. The attacked occurred just east of the waterfall on a popular hiking trail.
The boy, whom witnesses estimated at around 4 years of age, was conscious when he left the preserve with paramedics. There are no updates on his condition at this time.
The incident occurred just three days after KUSI reported that a mountain lion in the same preserve had followed a man and his 12 year old son along a trail. According to an account posted on NextDoor, the father got off his bicycle and waved it over his head, shouting until the lion turned and ran off.
The California Fish & Game Department advises that if you see a mountain lion, don't ever run away or turn your back to the lion, which triggers the lion's predator instinct and makes it likely to attack, believing you are prey. Do not curl up or play dead, as is advised to avoid bear attacks. Instead, wave your arms or a hiking stick over your head to look larger, open a jacket wide, shout and make as much noise as possible. If an animal acts aggressively, you can throw a rock or other object toward the lion.
You may wish to avoid this trail short-term. Keep children close to you when hiking in mountain lion terrain and pick up your child if you see a lion.
Several thousand mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are estimated to reside in California. Most are elusive and avoid contact with people. The California Fish & Game Department's website reports that from 1996 to 2014, only 15 verified mountain lion attacks have been documented in California, of which three were fatal. The majority of victims survive cougar attacks, often by fighting back with sticks, rocks, bottles or other items.
If you have photos, details, or an eyewitness account on this event or any local emergency please contact [email protected]
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Witnesses told 10 News that the boy's father threw rocks to scare off the lion. The attacked occurred just east of the waterfall on a popular hiking trail.
The boy, whom witnesses estimated at around 4 years of age, was conscious when he left the preserve with paramedics. There are no updates on his condition at this time.
The incident occurred just three days after KUSI reported that a mountain lion in the same preserve had followed a man and his 12 year old son along a trail. According to an account posted on NextDoor, the father got off his bicycle and waved it over his head, shouting until the lion turned and ran off.
The California Fish & Game Department advises that if you see a mountain lion, don't ever run away or turn your back to the lion, which triggers the lion's predator instinct and makes it likely to attack, believing you are prey. Do not curl up or play dead, as is advised to avoid bear attacks. Instead, wave your arms or a hiking stick over your head to look larger, open a jacket wide, shout and make as much noise as possible. If an animal acts aggressively, you can throw a rock or other object toward the lion.
You may wish to avoid this trail short-term. Keep children close to you when hiking in mountain lion terrain and pick up your child if you see a lion.
Several thousand mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are estimated to reside in California. Most are elusive and avoid contact with people. The California Fish & Game Department's website reports that from 1996 to 2014, only 15 verified mountain lion attacks have been documented in California, of which three were fatal. The majority of victims survive cougar attacks, often by fighting back with sticks, rocks, bottles or other items.
If you have photos, details, or an eyewitness account on this event or any local emergency please contact [email protected]
Thanks to the
Help sustain our emergency alerts! Please donate:
Check our homepage for emergency updates:
You can post comments on our articles to alert others of hazards.
If you received this alert from a friend, sign up to get our free
wildfire/emergency alerts. Invite friends and family to sign up, too!
Follow us on Twitter at
We recommend signing up for email and mobile phone alerts to stay safe and informed, since you can't be sure what technology will work in an emergency.
For major wildland fires, visit the County emergency website at
Cal Fire San Diego Twitter feed:
Also check the Brush Fire Party Line on Facebook.
