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Mother Fights Mountain Lion To Save Child – 5-Year-Old, Being Mauled By The Animal, Saved By Brave Woman

By Alap Naik Desai
Published on: 02:54 PST, Jun 18, 2016

A mother confronted a mountain lion that was attacking her 5-year-old child in Colorado. The woman reportedly pried off the boy from the clutches of the big cat with her bare hands. The boy, though injured in the attack, survived and is being treated in a hospital for multiple puncture wounds.

A mother in Western Colorado leapt into action without caring for the consequences and saved her child who was being attacked by a mountain lion. The animal had managed to sneak into the community where the family resided and had begun mauling the boy. But after hearing the screams, the mother’s natural instinct to protect her baby kicked in.

According to the officials who responded to the incident, the mother faced a battle against one of the most powerful and skilled predators. The woman reportedly snatched her son from the Colorado mountain lion and saved him without being concerned about her own safety. Unfortunately, the mountain lion, a member of the endangered species to begin with, was put down by the authorities. Moreover, they are now actively hunting another lion who was reportedly seen in the vicinity.

The attack happened Friday night, about 10 miles northwest of Aspen, Colorado, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, reported CNN. The boy’s father called 911 dispatchers to report about the attack. He told the dispatchers that his son had been attacked by a mountain lion, and he was driving him to the Aspen Valley Hospital, noted the police in a statement released about the incident. The boy’s father called 911 dispatchers to report about the attack. He told the dispatchers that his son had been attacked by a mountain lion, and he was driving him to the Aspen Valley Hospital, noted the police in a statement released about the incident.

However, before the father made the call, the boy was rescued by his mother. Apparently, the boy and his older brother were playing in the family home’s yard when the mother of the boys heard screams. The woman rushed outside and was able to “physically remove her son from the mountain lion,” noted the Sheriff. The police haven’t released the identity of the family.

Emergency personnel in Aspen Valley Hospital treated the boy for injuries to his face, head, and neck. Thereafter, he was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Denver, where he is currently being treated. The boy’s condition isn’t serious and is he is currently in “fair” condition, shared the hospital spokesperson. The mother, too, sustained minor injuries to her hand and legs during the rescue. She was treated and released on the same day, reported Denver Post.

After the attack was reported, Sheriff’s deputies and a law enforcement officer from the U.S. Forest Service arrived at the family’s home. They found the mountain lion in the front yard of the house. Perhaps fearing the safety of other residents, the officials killed the lion. It is not yet clear why the animal wasn’t sedated and released into the wildlife. Apart from the lion that was killed, officials are searching for a second mountain lion after witnesses said two lions were seen in the area prior to the incident, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department said, reported NDTV.

Though mountain lions are not uncommon in Colorado, sightings are rare. Moreover, these cats seldom venture into human habitats and rarely attack people. In case of an attack by a mountain lion, people should fight it off with whatever they can find including rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools, etc., mentions Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.

According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill, there have been only three reported fatalities that involved mountain lions since 1991. Even if the records are stretched back to 1970, only 16 people have been attacked by these predators. The last known attack in the state occurred last year, wherein a mountain lion lunged at a man. Wildlife officials stated the man was fishing in a highly remote area in northwest Colorado.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

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