SAN DIEGO — Hiking trails at the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve remain closed after Fish and Wildlife officials shot and killed a mountain lion believed to have attacked and injured a four-year-old boy Monday afternoon.
The boy was with a group of 11 people at the time, in an area known as Carson's Crossing in the center of the preserve. CDFW Lt. Scott Bringman said wildlife officers responded to the scene and identified mountain lion tracks, then a cougar approached the officers a short time later.
"The lion appeared to have little fear of humans, which is abnormal behavior for a mountain lion," the lieutenant said. "The wildlife officers immediately dispatched the animal to ensure public safety."
News that the animal was killed on sight caused a flood of responses on social media. One person asked, “how is this legal?” Another social media user called the killing absolutely “disgusting.”
Dave Bittner with the Wildlife Research Center said thousands of mountain lions live in San Diego preserves, and while warning signs are posted, attacks are very rare.
“They will do everything they can to avoid humans, but hunger is hunger and they try to survive like any other animal,” he said.
Some have asked why mountain lions can’t just be captured and re-located if they are deemed dangerous.
Fish and Wildlife officials said the answer is a simple protocol: “We do not relocate because then she would be a problem somewhere else.”
Wildlife officers collected clothing samples from the boy and sent them to the CDFW Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Sacramento, along with the mountain lion's body, for DNA analysis, Bringman said. He said wildlife forensics specialists will test the samples to confirm whether the deceased cat was responsible for the attack.