Mountain Lion Euthanized After Cupertino Attack

Sunday's attack was the second in California in two months; the first occurred in Orange County in Southern California in January https://t.co/P4KNHbsBB6

— KTLA (@KTLA) February 21, 2020

The mountain lion that attacked and injured a 6-year-old at a Bay Area park has been euthanized. Here’s more from the San Jose Mercury News:

The female cat, between 2 and 4 years old and weighing between 60 and 70 pounds, was discovered in a tree in the area on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday.

Rangers initially sedated the animal and extracted DNA before confirming it was the predator that attacked the child. On Sunday morning, the girl was scratched and bitten on the calf and DNA samples were taken from her wounds, which matched the DNA of the captured mountain lion, according to the statement from agency spokesperson Jordan Traverso. 

The wildlife agency “is actively engaged in mountain lion conservation across the state. However, public safety is our top priority,” the statement said. “We made the decision to euthanize the lion because it was confirmed to have attacked a human.”