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Mountain lion 'out for blood' killed after attacking bikers
Friday, January 9, 2004 Posted: 1:10 AM EST (0610 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- California authorities have shot and killed a mountain lion that attacked two female mountain bikers Thursday afternoon in the Foothill Ranch region of Orange County, California, leaving one woman in critical condition and another badly shaken.
The body of another apparent attack victim was discovered as authorities searched for the mountain lion.
The bikers were attacked while riding trails in an area adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest. One of the women, Debbie Nichols, described to reporters at the scene how the mountain lion dragged her companion 100 yards into the brush while she held on and screamed for help.
"This guy would not let go," she said. "He had hold of her face."
Nils Magmuson said he heard screams from the two women and that it "sounded like they were in agony." When he got to the scene, he said, the mountain lion had the woman by her head and Nichols was holding onto her friend by her legs, preventing the big cat from dragging her further into the brush.
"The mountain lion had her face in his mouth and would not let her go," he said. "I was in shock."
He and other bikers in the vicinity began throwing rocks in an attempt to scare off the lion. A man who was at the scene shortly after the attack said he frequents the trails in the area and has often seen mountain lions but described this one as being "out for blood."
Personnel from the Orange County Sheriff's Department killed the mountain lion Thursday evening.
"The mountain lion was shot 10 feet from the first attack," according to Capt. Stephen Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority, who said the animal was hiding in the brush. He described it as a young male mountain lion -- one to two years old -- weighing about 110 pounds.
The Department of Fish and Game will conduct tests to determine if the animal killed was the mountain lion that attacked the bikers, Miller said, noting that attacks of this type are unusual.
Authorities said the body of another person who "appeared to be" the victim of a mountain lion attack was found during the search and rescue for Thursday's victims. An official at the scene said that victim had been in the wilderness for an undetermined period of time.
Testing will also be done on the corpse to determine if it was killed by the same lion.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/01/09/mountain.lion/index.html
Friday, January 9, 2004 Posted: 1:10 AM EST (0610 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- California authorities have shot and killed a mountain lion that attacked two female mountain bikers Thursday afternoon in the Foothill Ranch region of Orange County, California, leaving one woman in critical condition and another badly shaken.
The body of another apparent attack victim was discovered as authorities searched for the mountain lion.
The bikers were attacked while riding trails in an area adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest. One of the women, Debbie Nichols, described to reporters at the scene how the mountain lion dragged her companion 100 yards into the brush while she held on and screamed for help.
"This guy would not let go," she said. "He had hold of her face."
Nils Magmuson said he heard screams from the two women and that it "sounded like they were in agony." When he got to the scene, he said, the mountain lion had the woman by her head and Nichols was holding onto her friend by her legs, preventing the big cat from dragging her further into the brush.
"The mountain lion had her face in his mouth and would not let her go," he said. "I was in shock."
He and other bikers in the vicinity began throwing rocks in an attempt to scare off the lion. A man who was at the scene shortly after the attack said he frequents the trails in the area and has often seen mountain lions but described this one as being "out for blood."
Personnel from the Orange County Sheriff's Department killed the mountain lion Thursday evening.
"The mountain lion was shot 10 feet from the first attack," according to Capt. Stephen Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority, who said the animal was hiding in the brush. He described it as a young male mountain lion -- one to two years old -- weighing about 110 pounds.
The Department of Fish and Game will conduct tests to determine if the animal killed was the mountain lion that attacked the bikers, Miller said, noting that attacks of this type are unusual.
Authorities said the body of another person who "appeared to be" the victim of a mountain lion attack was found during the search and rescue for Thursday's victims. An official at the scene said that victim had been in the wilderness for an undetermined period of time.
Testing will also be done on the corpse to determine if it was killed by the same lion.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/01/09/mountain.lion/index.html
