Mountain Lion Attacks Off-Duty Ranger at Redwoods

A mountain lion was killed by state officials last night after it attacked an off-duty ranger in Redwood National and State Parks. The ranger, accompanied by his dog, was fishing around sunset at Crescent Beach. At some point, he noticed the canine being chased by a mountain lion. It then began to approach.

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The ranger stood his ground, yelling and using his fishing pole and legs to strike and kick several times. It worked. The puma eventually ran off, leaving the man with torn jeans, but no injuries.

This represents the 14th verified mountain lion attack in California in under 30 years. By far, the majority of them have been nonfatal, including one in 2007 within the park.

A couple hours after the attack, rangers from the National Park Service and Department of California Fish and Wildlife spotted the lion hiding nearby in driftwood. The younger, but not fully grown animal was killed and was taken to a forensics lab in Sacramento for analysis.

Although mountain lion attacks in California are rare (the last one occurred in July 2012), it's wise for those going outdoors to be educated in how to handle the situation.

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