Colorado mother saves son from an attack by mountain lion

A 5-year-old boy in Denver is now recovering after being viciously attacked by a mountain lion in front of his Colorado home, Friday night.

911 dispatchers received a call Friday night from a man saying that his son was attacked by a mountain lion, and that he was rushing him to the hospital. According to the boy’s mother, she says that the boy was playing outside with his brother when she heard screams. Frantic, she ran outside and physically wrestled the lion off of her son. The boy was then taken to a hospital in Aspen, treated, and then transferred to a children’s hospital in Denver. Authorities say that he was treated for injuries to his face, head and neck and is currently in fair condition. His mother was also treated for minor injuries to her hands and legs.

Following the attack, the U.S. Forest Service tracked down the lion and the animal was detained and put down. Colorado Parks and Wildlife reps say that even though mountain lions are common in Colorado, quote “Lion attacks on people are rare, with fewer than a dozen fatalities in North America in more than 100 years." Investigators are now looking for a second mountain lion that was reported in the area earlier that day.

Maya Moore