Hiker Injured After Mountain Lion Tries to Attack His Dog in California Canyon
The victim "was able to grab the dog and keep the lion from capturing it," according to a park official
A man was injured while trying to stop a mountain lion from attacking his dog while hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, park officials said.
The man, who was hiking in the Solstice Canyon area near Malibu, received a scratch and puncture wound to his hand in the incident in which he was protecting his leashed dog, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said in a Facebook release.
Another young mountain lion was also in the area during the incident, officials said.
The victim was treated by National Park Service rangers who provided first aid on the scene, park officials said. His dog was uninjured.
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Seth Riley, the wildlife branch chief for the National Park Service, told LAist that the man had a "scratch basically, just minor injuries, adding, “he was able to grab the dog and keep the lion from capturing it.”
Meanwhile, the park was closed so that wildlife biologists could investigate the matter, officials said.
The Solstice Canyon area was scheduled to reopen on Thursday at 8 a.m. local time, per the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
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Park officials cautioned hikers and others in the area to be aware of the threat that the animals can present.
“Make yourself appear as large and intimidating as possible by yelling, waving your arms, and even throwing objects in the direction of the animal,” the park wrote in its Facebook post. “Slowly back away and allow space for the mountain lion to move away. Do not turn your back and run!”
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The park added, “Mountain lions are unpredictable, wild animals. While conflicts with humans are rare, there is always a risk when you are recreating in areas used by mountain lions.”
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