Mountain lion attacks boy at California picnic; animal later euthanized with firearm

A mountain lion attacked and severely injured a five-year-old boy during a family picnic at a Los Angeles County park, leading to official's decision to euthanize the animal.

The attack occurred Sunday around 4 p.m. local time at the Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. At least six adults were participating at the outing when the cougar approached the vicinity of a few children playing nearby.

The cougar scratched and bit the young boy, refusing to release him until one or more adults charged at it, the department said in a statement.

First responders airlifted the child to the Northridge Hospital Medical Center to be treated for severe, but non-life-threatening injuries. Medical staff cleared him early Monday morning.

Lion fatally shot after deemed threat to public safety

Moments after the attack, the mountain lion climbed up a nearby tree where it stayed until park rangers arrived, the department said.

After consulting with wildlife officers, rangers deemed that the panther was "a threat to public safety." A ranger killed the animal with a firearm.

"Officials are thankful that the family is safe, and the child is recovering and no one else was injured," the statement reads.

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Mountain lion mauled two brothers in March

Earlier this year, a mountain lion mauled two brothers in a remote forest area about 15 miles north of Placerville, a small city located between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.

Taylen Robert Claude Brooks, 21, was killed while hiking with his brother Wyatt Brooks, 18, in the small community of Georgetown, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office confirmed. The siblings are from Mount Aukum, California − about 35 miles south of where the attack occurred.

Wildlife experts later tracked the cougar to a tree it climbed and killed it, according to the sheriff's office.

How big are mountain lions?

Sometimes called pumas and panthers, mountain lions usually weigh between 75-175 pounds and grown adults can stand as tall as 30 inches in height and 8 feet in length, according to the National Park Service.

The largest ever to be documented weighed 276 pounds, the U.S. federal agency says on its website. They mostly feed deer, according to wildlife experts, but eat other animals including elk and mice.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund