A 6-year-old girl sustained minor injuries Sunday when she was attacked by a mountain lion at Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve in California.
The park and open space preserve, which is part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, will be closed until it is determined safe to be reopened, the district said in a statement late Sunday afternoon.
The girl was walking on a stretch of trail about two miles from the main parking area with her parents, other children and adults Sunday morning when the attack occurred, Brad Pennington, a ranger with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District said Monday.
One of the adults pushed the mountain lion off of the girl and into the bushes, Pennington said.
The child, whose identity has not been disclosed, was treated on scene for minor injuries. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers and park rangers are working to locate and identify the animal involved.
Mountain lions live throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains region and are generally not a threat to people, the district statement said.
“Most avoid areas of human activity and are easily scared off by loud noises,” the statement said. “Seeing a mountain lion is rare and an encounter like this is very unusual.”
