An 11-year-old girl was attacked by a mountain lion outside of a home in Malibu, California — one of the nation’s most exclusive celebrity enclaves.
The girl was feeding chickens at a residence in a neighborhood off the famed Pacific Coast Highway Sunday evening when the mountain lion suddenly emerged from the bushes and clamped its jaws on the child’s arm, KTLA reported.
She was rushed to a local hospital by her family, where she is recovering, CBS News reported. The girl’s exact injuries and condition weren’t immediately clear.
Officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife tracked down and euthanized the cougar within an hour of the 5:45 p.m. attack.
Authorities took DNA samples from the victim and the mountain lion to confirm it was involved, according to KTLA.
The attack comes just weeks after a 4-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion while hiking with their family at Olympic National Park in Washington state.
Mountain lions, which can weigh up to 150 pounds, are known for being one of the most reclusive animals in US forests as well as for being extremely territorial, according to the National Parks Service
While human attacks are rare, officials recommend facing the animal head-on, trying to appear as big as possible while slowly backing away if approached.
Malibu, meanwhile, is still reeling from this winter’s devastating wildfires, which razed 720 structures in the city and torched miles of beachfront mansions to their foundations.
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