Mountain Lion That Attacked Boy Is Euthanized

A 5-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion while playing near his family's picnic site at Malibu Creek State Park in California over the holiday weekend. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported the incident occurred Sunday afternoon, and "one or more adults charged at the lion," prompting it to release the boy. Witnesses saw the lion climb a tree, and the injured child was airlifted to a hospital, where his injuries were noted as significant but not life-threatening.

The mountain lion was euthanized after state park rangers deemed it a public threat. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted that such attacks are rare, with only about 20 reported incidents in over a century. But some have occurred recently: in Northern California, two brothers were attacked in March, one fatally; a 7-year-old was bitten near Santa Clarita last September. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)