A California father sprung into action to save his son when a mountain lion attacked the 5-year-old. In nature, you don't mess with a child as the cat quickly learned.
The family was enjoying a Labor Day picnic. However, that picnic quickly turned into a horror show instead. The mountain lion attacked the young child over the weekend. The family was at the Tapia Day Use Area of the Malibu State Creek Park in Calabasas, California. Authorities say there were six adults and several children at the picnic.
The mountain lion pounced on the 5-year-old boy. It grabbed the young child by the head and attempted to run with him. The family quickly became aware of the situation. The father immediately ran after the big cat and fought it off until it let go of his son.
"Somebody screamed the baby's name, and his dad started running," the victim's aunt told the outlet. "The father grabbed the mountain lion with his hands, and he just fought. Then the mountain lion let go."
Father Fights Off Mountain Lion
California State Park rangers and CDFW officers responded to the scene. They found cat crouched in a tree. Based on its behavior, they deemed the animal a threat to safety. A ranger ended up putting the mountain lion down as a result.
"CDFW and State Park officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured," the CDFW said in a statement.
