On February 16, 2020, a 6-year-old girl was walking on a trail with her parents, other adults, and three other children in Santa Clara at the Rancho San Antonio County Park.
The group was about two miles away from the main parking lot when out of nowhere, a mountain lion jumped out and attacked the 6-year-old. WVIT reports that one of the adults in the group immediately reacted by punching the mountain lion in the ribs.
While he was saving the girl, the rest of the adults made loud noises and scared it away.
Brad Pennington, a ranger with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District said the girl “has minor injuries, a couple puncture wounds on her calf, and was treated for minor first aid. Then, her parents took her to the hospital.”
The mountain lion is believed to be around 160 pounds. In hopes of preventing another attack, the park was closed so the California Department of Fish and Wildlife could search for the animal.
Park rangers said Sunday was one of the busiest days of the season. Their 300-car parking lot was at capacity.
A news release from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District says, “Mountain lions live throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains region and generally are not a threat to people. Most avoid areas of human activity and are easily scared off by loud noises. Seeing a mountain lion is rare and an encounter like this is very unusual.”
Our prayers are with the little girl as she recovers from her injuries.
Because of the attack, NBC Bay Area has put together a video on what to do if you’re found in this situation.
Those hoping to hike at Rancho San Antonio during the President’s Day holiday were turned away after a mountain lion attacked a 6-year-old girl over the weekend. Here are some good safety tips to remember if you ever encounter a mountain lion. https://t.co/0MI1kWSMVE pic.twitter.com/hXbZjOxPAL
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) February 18, 2020