[KNSD San Diego] A 4-year-old boy who was attacked by a mountain lion in Rancho Peñasquitos had severe lacerations on his head and a bite wound on his leg, investigators said.
The boy had to get stitches in his head from the trauma, that Capt. Patrick Foy of Fish and Wildlife defined as “very severe.”
“When lions attack prey, they attack at the head and neck region,” said Captain Foy. “Scalp tears are one of the indicators we’re dealing with a lion. It appears the lion was hungry and saw the boy as prey.”
After a day and a half stay at Rady Children’s Hospital the boy was released and is expected to make a full recovery.
The boy was hiking with a group of six adults and five children in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, in an area known as Carson’s Crossing at the center of the preserve, when the animal attacked at about 2:30 p.m., SDFD Battalion Chief Rick Ballard told NBC 7.
The boy’s father “threw rocks and the animal left the scene,” said CDFW spokesperson Lt. Scott Bringman.
The boy was, “Extremely lucky, I mean a lion could really did some damage and luckily the dad was there and fended off the animal,” Bringman said.
Neighbors said that the boy and his family live nearby and used the popular trail regularly.
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