A mother has managed to fight off a mountain lion who attacked her five-year-old son, while playing outside their house in Colarado.
The boy had been playing with his brother outside the family home in north-west Aspen, when the mother heard screams.
She found the creature on top of her son, Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputy Michael Buglione told local media that she was able to pry the cat’s jaws open, adding: “She’s a hero.”
The boy was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital and then transferred to Children’s Hospital in Denver, having suffered injuries to his face, head and neck. He is said to be in a ‘fair’ condition after the incident, The Independent reports.
His mother was also treated for minor injuries at Aspen Valley Hospital and then released.
Police managed to locate the lion, before shooting it dead along with a second lion that was spotted in a front garden nearby.
Many, however, are expressing their concern for these wild animals, suggesting that these attacks may be a result of their habitat being destroyed as local populations grow.
Residents have been given advice on what to do to if they encounter a mountain lion, being warned to ‘not approach’ the creature, ‘stay calm’, and ‘do all you can to appear larger’.
It then adds to ‘throw stones’ if the lion becomes aggressive and ‘fight back’ if they attack.
There have been two, possibly three, fatalities related to mountain lion attacks in the state since 1991, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said.
The incident comes days after a two-year-old boy was attacked and killed by an alligator in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
