In California, a puma killed a guy: his brother was seriously injured

In California, on March 23, a teenager called 911 and reported that he and his brother had been attacked by a cougar, reports Washington Post.

Photo: iStock.com/SandmanXX

When the animal chased them, the 18-year-old boy and his 21-year-old brother ran in different directions. Upon arrival at the scene in Georgetown, California, police found a 21-year-old man dead on the ground. A cougar was sitting next to his body.

As a result of the attack by a predator, the older brother died. In California, this is the first reported fatal incident between a person and a cougar in 20 years.

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The cougar was euthanized near the scene within a few hours, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The 18-year-old brother of the deceased underwent several operations and is recovering.

“His family is grateful for the prayers and condolences from the community but wishes to maintain privacy to cope with this tragic event,” the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.

The state Department of Wildlife confirmed on March 24 that DNA from the attack scene matched that of a cougar that had been euthanized. According to the department, it was a healthy animal weighing 40 kg.

Although cougars often roam the same trails as people, they generally stay away from humans, said Winston Vickers, a veterinary wildlife researcher at the University of California, Davis.

A year ago, but already in Colorado wild puma attacked on a man in a jacuzzi.

Because attacks are so rare, it is difficult to pinpoint risk factors. Research has shown that aggression and subsequent death are more likely if a child is nearby or if people move around erratically.

“When you look at the statistics, there’s a little bit of everything,” Vickers noted.

How events developed

On March 23 at around 13:00 p.m., a young man called 911 and reported the attack. He said he and his brother were looking for elk antlers in the area.

Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and found a teenager with facial injuries. Paramedics rushed to help him, and policemen began searching for his 21-year-old brother.

After spotting it on the ground around 13:45 p.m., officers opened fire to scare off the animal and clear the area for assistance. The 21-year-old man was already dead, according to the sheriff's department.

Tragedy of 2004

The incident is the first reported fatal cougar attack on a human since January 2004, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In a 2004 incident, a 35-year-old man died at the hands of a predator in Whiting Ranch Nature Park in Orange County. Since then, the state wildlife department has confirmed 12 non-fatal cougar attacks on humans. The last recorded aggression occurred in September 2022.

The latest attack is among 22 confirmed incidents since March 1986. Four of them, including Saturday's, were fatal. Cougar in Washington National Park in summer 2023 attacked on an 8-year-old child, and even earlier this predator killed a small dog during walks in California.

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Cougars are a specially protected species under California law. An attack by this predator on people is very rare.

People who spend time outdoors should be attentive and as prepared as possible. Bear spray or waving a stick can be effective defenses.

“It’s easy to get scared, but anything can happen to us, anywhere. People don’t stop swimming in the ocean just because shark attacks happen from time to time,” Vickers concluded.

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