Range Map provided by Carolina Tiger Rescue Although they are considered extinct east of the Mississippi River with the exception of a small pocket population in Florida, there are occasional claims of sightings on the eastern side of the country, most of which are attributed to escape from captivity. Puma concolor, commonly known as the mountain lion, cougar, puma, or panther, is a carnivorous feline whose habitat ranges through the western half of North America and extends through Central America and into much of South America. Luckily the injuries were minor and the boy has been discharged from the hospital. The child was airlifted to the hospital and the Orange County Sheriff's Department closed the park after the attack. The child suffered from puncture wounds in the neck and abrasions from being dragged on the ground. The big cat let go of the child, grabbed the backpack and took off. The father of the child acted quickly and threw a backpack at the lion. The lion grabbed the boy by the neck and started dragging him away. This afternoon a scary Mountain Lion attacked happened on our local trails in Orange County, California. At 4:15pm a family of 6 was hiking on a trail at Whiting Rang Wilderness Park in Lake Forest, when a Mountain Lion ran up and attacked a 3 year old boy.
Article written by Jenna Horiuchi and Floris Gierman | Photo by biker3 (Adobe Stock)