Yahoo Movies What happens to a mountain lion after it attacks a human in California?
After a mountain lion attack on a human is reported in California — the latest this week in Trinity County — curiosity usually stirs about the cat’s fate.
Typically, state officials will kill cougars after a verified human attack. But they are extremely rare given they share a habitat with 39 million Californians.
In 1990, California voters banned mountain lion hunting, but the ballot initiative allows wildlife officers to kill lions deemed a “public safety” threat. They’ll also issue permits to kill cougars after they kill pets or livestock.
When a lion is killed after an attack, it’s taken to a state lab for an animal autopsy called a “necropsy.”
DNA samples were collected from Erin Wilson and her dog, Eva, from a Sacramento-area lab after the attack Tuesday along Highway 299 in the Big Bar area. Wildlife officials will set a trap for the lion and test its DNA against the sample before it’s euthanized.
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Since 1986, mountain lions have killed three people in California — in El Dorado, San Diego and Orange counties — and attacked at least 17 others, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Cougars hunt alone, ambush their prey — preferably deer — from behind and kill with a bite to the skull.
After a lion killed and ate 40-year old Barbara Schoener in Auburn Lake Trails in 1994, wildlife officials shot the cat after a week-long search, The Bee previously reported.
In 2020, The Bee reported that a 60 to 70-pound mountain lion was euthanized after attacking a 6-year-old girl.
The child was walking on a trail at the Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve in Cupertino when the cougar jumped at her. The lion was punched in its ribs before it released the young girl.
How often do California mountain lions attack? Here’s what to know if cougars are near
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Most of the verified California mountain lion attacks occurred when a person was alone.
The County of San Diego Parks and Recreation said it’s very rare to see a mountain lion, but if you live in an area where they’ve been sighted, here’s your best defense against the animal:
Don’t hike alone. If you do, avoid dawn, dusk or night hours.
Keep small children close. Keep dogs on a leash.
Don’t approach or run from a mountain lion.
Don’t crouch or bend when a mountain lion is in view.
If approached by a mountain lion, make sure it has an escape route because they tend to avoid confrontation.
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