Two days after a 5-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion during a Woodland Hills family group picnic in Malibu Creek State Park, the city of Calabasas, as well as environmental groups, were shaken up by the unprovoked mauling.
The families — about six adults and several children — were picnicking in the Tapia Park Day Use Area where there are picnic tables and barbecue grills on Sunday, Sept. 1, when at 4:20 p.m. a mountain lion grabbed the child and began to run with the boy in its mouth.
The child’s father ran at the cougar, causing it to release the child. The animal charged up a nearby tree. After consulting with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who deemed it a public safety threat, a state park ranger shot and killed the animal.
On Tuesday, the CDFW matched DNA from the bite marks on the boy with tissue from the cougar carcass, proving it was the animal that attacked the boy.
The boy sustained “significant but non-life-threatening injuries,” the CDFW reported on Tuesday in a statement. He was airlifted to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, was treated for his injuries and released in the early morning hours on Monday, Sept. 2, the agency reported.
A necropsy was being performed on the dead puma on Tuesday. This procedure will help CDFW determine the cougar’s sex, age, health and whether or not it carried rabies, said Steve Gonzalez, a CDFW spokesperson on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
The results will be known on Wednesday or Thursday, he said.
“My main concern is the safety of our residents. Children and families should be at parks and not have this fear,” said Alicia Weintraub, mayor of Calabasas. She said the state park is in unincorporated LA County, but very near the city boundaries.
The city has many parks in and around the Santa Monica Mountains. It regularly educates its population of the presence of wild animals in and around the city, including bears and mountain lions. Both have been spotted in people’s backyards fairly routinely, often showing up on outdoor video footage shared on social media sites, she said.
But Weintraub said the city has never had a mountain lion at one of its parks. She had a mountain lion visit the backyard of her home last year in the early morning. “It was quite scary to me,” she said.
Weintraub said the City Council will discuss the incident at Malibu Creek State Park at its upcoming meeting.
“I think the families did everything right, from what I read. It is definitely scary,” she said.
The mountain lion attack occurred in a picnic area, not on a remote trail or backwoods area, within the state park. On the website for Tapia picnic area, commenters wrote: “A bit small yet beautiful space to go for a walk with children,” and “Love this park great place to bring your family!”
Groups working to protect mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains were upset about the incident. “I want to acknowledge how horrible this must have been for this family. I hope he has a quick and full recovery,” said Tiffany Yap, senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity” on Tuesday.
“My heart goes out to the child and the family who experienced this attack. We at the National Wildlife Federation are keeping them in our thoughts and we hope for the child’s speedy recovery,” said Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the California, National Wildlife Federation and founder and executive director of The Wildlife Crossing Fund, which is building the largest wildlife crossing in the world over the 101 Freeway, nearby in Agoura Hills.
Cougars attacking humans are rare, Pratt said.
Since 1986, there have been about 26 human attacks in the state, with four fatalities. Three years ago, a boy, also age 5, was attacked by a mountain lion in Calabasas, according to CDFW records. He recovered from his injuries.
In comparison, automobiles cause between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths every year in the state. “These statistics don’t diminish the tragedy when a person is killed or injured by a lion and I know are no comfort to those who experienced an attack, but it puts the risk in perspective, Pratt said.
Yap said the building of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills will connect mountain lions trapped in the Santa Monica Mountains with the larger Simi Hills and beyond, allowing them to hunt and find a mate with a more genetically diverse population. Also, this may remove them from more urban areas, she said.
“It will allow them to move more freely instead of being hemmed in and be able to move farther away and find the resources they need,” Yap said.
The bridge spans 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway and is expected to be completed by early 2026.
She offered some tips for Southern Californians who may see a mountain lion in the wild.
If you are in a wildlife park or on a trail in the mountains, be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you see a mountain lion, make yourself appear bigger, make noise, and even throw things at it, she said. “Make your presence known. If you have children nearby or a small dog, you should pick them up. And you never want to run. You should back away slowly,” Yap said.
Related links
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