MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKS ON HUMANS

The California Department of Fish and Games estimates that there are between 4,000 and 6,000 mountain lions in California. Mountain lion attacks on humans are very rare. Between 1890 and 1990, a 100-year period, in Canada and the United States combined, there were only 53 mountain lion attacks recorded. Nine (9) attacks resulted in ten (10) deaths and 44 attacks were non-fatal. In California, there were only 12 such attacks between 1890 and the year 2000. The first attack occurred in Siskiyou County in 1890, when a seven (7) year old boy was killed by two mountain lions. Then in 1909 a rabid lion injured a woman and a child. Both died of rabies. Between 1909 and 1986 there were no verified attacks on humans. Then in 1986 a five-year old girl was seriously injured by a mountain lion in a regional park in Orange County. In the same year a six-year old boy was injured in the same park by a mountain lion. In 1992 a nine-year old boy received minor injuries when attacked in Gaviota State Park in Santa Barbara County. In 1993 a ten-year old girl received minor injuries when attacked by a big cat in San Diego County. In 1994 a 40-year old jogger was killed in El Dorado County. Again in 1994, this time in Mendocino County, a couple was injured by a rabid mountain lion. While the man lost a thumb to the cat, the couple killed the animal with a kitchen knife. In December of 1994 a 56-year old woman was killed by a mountain lion while walking in a park in San Diego County. In 1995 a 27-year old man received minor injuries when attacked by a mountain lion while riding his bicycle in the mountains above Altadena in the Angeles National Forest. His worst injuries, as it turned out, came from the poison oak he tumbled through while fighting off the cat. Finally, in January of 2004 a male bicyclist was attacked in a wilderness park while kneeling to fix a broken chain. Later in the day the same lion attacked and seriously injured a female cyclist, who survived only because of the intervention of other cyclists.

What can we learn from these attacks. Well, they are infrequent. Only two occurred in California prior to 1986. However, as the human population of the state has increased and has pushed out into prime mountain lion habitat, the number of injuries and deaths have dramatically increased. The dramatic expansion of public hiking and biking trails has greatly expanded the contact between mountain lions and human users of the outdoors. Children are an attractive target for the big cats, as are runners and people alone. Rabid animals account for a significant share of injuries and deaths. (Death from rabies need no longer occur if medical treatment is sought following the injury.) If attacked, fight back. You have a pretty good chance of surviving. Stay out of Orange and San Diego counties.

(Data for this much of this piece came from the May/June 2000 issue of Outdoor California - that’s the issue with the mountain lion on the cover.)

Mike Kuhn

8-5-05