Mountain lion, meet mama bear. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), a 65-pound mountain lion was shot and killed by a wildlife officer after attacking a five-year old boy was playing by a tree near his home in Calabasas.
The reason the boy is still alive? His mother fought the mountain lion with her bare hands. “On Aug 26, 2021, approximately 10:45 a.m., a 65-lb. mountain lion attacked the boy in his front yard, inflicting wounds to his head, neck and upper torso,” the CDFW reports states. “The boy’s mother fended off the lion by striking it multiple times. The boy’s parents transported him to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He remains in the hospital in stable condition.”
CBSLA spoke with Capt. Patrick Foy of the CDFW and he explained the boy was “dragged about 45 yards” before his mother sprung into action. “The commotion caused by the attack and the boy’s screaming alerted the mom who was inside. She ran outside and immediately started striking and punching at the lion and managed to fend the lion off her son,” he said. “This mom’s an absolute hero who saved her son’s life, there’s no question about it.”
“The True Hero Of This Story Is His Mom”
Ana Beatriz Cholo of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area called the mother’s actions “truly heroic” and offered advice to anyone who comes face to face with a mountain lion. “Try to make yourself look bigger than you are and give it space to move on,” she said, before adding “that’s the time to start throwing whatever you got at it” if you find yourself in a standoff with a mountain lion.”
Foy continued his praise of the boy’s mother for her heroism in the face of such a violent threat to her child. “She ran out of the house and started punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son,” Foy said (via USA Today). “The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life.”
More Parenting In The News:
- Watch This Dad Bravely Defend Universal Masking
- Funny Dad’s Photoshopped Images Of His Baby Go Viral
- Dad’s Hilarious Press Conference About a Day With Kids Is Spot On
