Second mountain lion attacks a young boy in California in less than a year

A child was attacked by a mountain lion 40 miles south of San Francisco on Tuesday evening and rushed to a trauma center in unknown condition.

It was the second such incident in California in less than a year and comes after a seven-year-old boy was hospitalized after being bitten by a lion near Los Angeles.

After the attack at around 6.50pm on Tuesday a neighbor of the child told local outlet ACB7 they seemed calm but that it was unexpected as mountain lions rarely interact with humans.

'They were pretty calm when I pulled up, they're my neighbors so I asked them if they were okay. They were very, they were good,' neighbor Chad Conover said.

'They said everybody's fine, but they had to talk to Fish and Game, and a warden pulled up right as I pulled out,' he added. 'Typically the mountain lions avoid people, so it's not often you hear about an attack on a human.'

Mountain lion sightings are common but attacks are not. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife around 20 confirmed attacks have occurred in California in more than a century. 

'[San Mateo County Sheriff's Office] was dispatched to a report of a mountain lion attack and we can confirm a child was transported to a local trauma center after the attack,' wrote the San Mateo Sheriff's office in a tweet.

'Incident occurred on the 1000 blk of Tunitas Creek Rd. in unincorporated SMC. [California Department of Fish and Wildlife] actively investigating the incident.'

Authorities said the child was conscious when they were transported to the hospital but would not specify their condition. 

In September 2022, about 300 miles south, another young boy was attacked. A seven-year-old boy was bitten from behind while taking a walk with his father through Pico Canyon Park, just north of Los Angeles. 

The two were walking up some stairs when the lion struck from behind, biting the boy on the buttocks. The father scared the animal away and the boy was treated for only minor wounds.

After his attack authorities baited the lion with a fresh deer carcass in an attempt to capture it. Captain Patrick Foy from the California Fish and Wildlife Department told ABC7 after the attack that if it was found the cat may need to be put down.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are also investigating Tuesday night's attack - the condition of the mountain lion involved is unknown. 

Last June a mountain lion cub entered a California classroom before school had begun.

The six to eight-month-old cub entered Pescadero High School on San Mateo County coast before becoming trapped inside when a school custodian enclosed it in a room.

After evacuating the school the cub was tranquilized with a dart and safely removed hours later.

The small mountain lion was then taken to Oakland Zoo where vets identified that it had a badly fractured tooth which had to be removed. They also decided the young cat was too young to survive in the wild, so it was not released.