Mountain lion that attacked boy in San Mateo County is hunted
California wildlife officials on Wednesday were still searching for the mountain lion that attacked a young boy in San Mateo County on Tuesday night and left him hospitalized.
The 5-year-old boy along with his mother and grandfather were walking on Tunitas Creek Road in an unincorporated section of the county when the boy was attacked and “taken to the ground,” wildlife officials said.
The boy was reportedly walking a bit ahead of his family around 6:50 p.m. when he was attacked by the mountain lion. The animal bit into him the entire time, wildlife officials said.
“The attack was very, very vicious in nature,” said Capt. Patrick Foy from state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The boy’s mother charged at the lion, Foy said. As she approached, the animal released the boy.
Foy said the mother scooped up her son and got him to safety before calling 911. The child was transported to a hospital in Redwood City and later transferred to Stanford’s trauma center to treat major puncture wounds.
“Every indication is that she saved her son’s life,” said Foy, referring to the mother.
The boy was released from the hospital and was expected to recover from his wounds, officials said. As of Wednesday afternoon, wildlife officers said they collected evidence from the boy’s wounds and his clothing to isolate traces of the animal’s saliva, which could contain traces of the cougar’s DNA profile.
Someone claiming to be the boy’s aunt set up a GoFundMe for the family, which reportedly runs a nearby farm called Potrero Nuevo.
The attack left “Jack” with many lacerations on his face and a fracture near one eye, according to the GoFundMe. “He is covered in cuts, bruises and scratches, but his spirit remains intact,” the person behind the funding effort wrote. “He is the most courageous, adventurous little guy I have ever met and I am not surprised that if there was a kid who could wrestle a mountain lion and come out on top, it would be Jack.”
The family was interviewed by wildlife investigators Wednesday morning. They could not be immediately reached for comment.
Foy said that wildlife officers responded to the scene on Tuesday evening and looked for the animal until dark, but they were unable to locate it. Officials were contacting neighbors in the hopes of continuing the search on their properties.
The attack occurred along private property in a remote location east of Highway 1 and south of Half Moon Bay.
When and if the mountain lion is found, officials can identify whether it was the animal in question through DNA collection. Foy did not elaborate about the specific plans for the animal if it is caught, but said “it will not be released back into the wild.”
“People frequently ask us to just take (mountain lions) and go release them into the ‘middle of nowhere,’ ” said Foy. “But the location where this attack occurred is described as the ‘middle of nowhere.’ ”
The last known Bay Area big cat attack was in February 2020, when a mountain lion attacked a 6-year-old girl who was hiking with her family at a county park in Cupertino. The cougar was euthanized.
It took officials three days of searching the Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve to find the female mountain lion.
Mountain lion attacks are extremely rare in California, with 22 attacks reported since 1986. The probability of getting attacked by a cougar is very low — far lower than getting attacked by a domestic dog, officials said.
Wildlife experts say it’s important to be vigilant when you’re outside in nature — but that shouldn’t stop families from enjoying their time outdoors. Carrying a whistle is often helpful, as is staying together in family groups as much as is possible.
“If attacked, fight back,” said Foy. “That’s probably the most important thing for people to understand. It’s not something where you play dead. You have to fight for your life.”