Authorities in Northern California will resume searching for a mountain lion that attacked a 6-year-old boy.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Patrick Foy said a new team of tracking dogs will take over Monday evening after the search was halted earlier because a previous team of dogs became exhausted while scouring rugged terrain in humid conditions for the big cat.
Foy said authorities will also set three live traps with roadkill as bait to try catching the animal.
"The animal is pretty comfortable in these surroundings. There's no indication to us that he's gone pretty far," Foy said. "We feel that he's nearby."
Officials said the boy was released from the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on Monday, a day after suffering bite wounds and scratches on his head and neck while hiking with his family and others at the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve near the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino. The boy's name has not been released.
The boy's father told investigators his son was about 10 feet ahead of the group when a mountain lion "came out of nowhere" and attacked the boy, Foy said.
Hiking trails remained closed during the search.
After calling off Sunday's search at dusk, the team spent overnight at the site of the attack hoping the lion would return. Authorities opted for a smaller search crew to increase its probability of tracking down the animal though fresh scents and prints, Foy said.
"We've intentionally minimized the team to eliminate any scent and track contamination in order to find this animal who we believe is a threat to public safety," Foy said. "We will be here for as long as it takes."
If found, authorities intend to kill the lion and test it for rabies, Foy added.
He said the mountain lion attacked in a manner similar to the way it would a group of deer by targeting the easiest prey, usually the smallest member. The lion dragged the boy into some brush before his father and the other male adult in the hiking group shouted and acted aggressively toward the animal, scaring it away, Foy added.
"That little boy probably would be dead had they not intervened," Foy said.
There have been 13 verified mountain lion attacks in California between 1986 and 2013, three of which resulted in deaths, according to the Fish and Wildfire department.
The trail where the attack occurred is on land owned by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which buys and protects land in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Man vs Nature again, shoot first ask questions later now?? emotion_donotwant
Unfortunately, an animal has to be killed in order to test for rabies because they need the brain. They can't detect for rabies on a live animal, especially since the direct antibody fluorescence test to detect rabies can only be performed post-mortem.
Man vs Nature again, shoot first ask questions later now?? emotion_donotwant
Unfortunately, an animal has to be killed in order to test for rabies because they need the brain. They can't detect for rabies on a live animal, especially since the direct antibody fluorescence test to detect rabies can only be performed post-mortem.
Currently wondering why they'd need to test for rabies if it was exhibiting normal behavior though.
Head and neck injuries, huh? I guess I can understand if they want to rule out rabies. That's pretty deadly.
And so continues the origin story of Puma Kid.
As a precaution the kids going to get 3 shot in the a**. Once in the begin the next two over the course of several months. These Shot will last for 7 year if I am not mistaken. My mother had to get one.
I'm glad the boy is alive but seeing that the mountain lion didn't kill the boy, I wish they would test it for rabies and then set it free in an uninhabited area, instead of killing it.
I'm glad the boy is alive but seeing that the mountain lion didn't kill the boy, I wish they would test it for rabies and then set it free in an uninhabited area, instead of killing it.
Read my earlier post. It is IMPOSSIBLE to test for rabies on a live animal because of the techniques required. An animal has to be dead in order to accurately test for rabies, especially since brain tissue is the only anatomical part that can yield results quickly and accurately, since rabies affects the nervous tissue. Animals suspected of rabies are basically beheaded, and their head is sent off to a lab for further testing.
I'm glad the boy is alive but seeing that the mountain lion didn't kill the boy, I wish they would test it for rabies and then set it free in an uninhabited area, instead of killing it.
Read my earlier post. It is IMPOSSIBLE to test for rabies on a live animal because of the techniques required. An animal has to be dead in order to accurately test for rabies, especially since brain tissue is the only anatomical part that can yield results quickly and accurately, since rabies affects the nervous tissue. Animals suspected of rabies are basically beheaded, and their head is sent off to a lab for further testing.
Head and neck injuries, huh? I guess I can understand if they want to rule out rabies. That's pretty deadly.
And so continues the origin story of Puma Kid.
As a precaution the kids going to get 3 shot in the a**. Once in the begin the next two over the course of several months. These Shot will last for 7 year if I am not mistaken. My mother had to get one.
There doesn't seem to be a standard for Rabies shots any more. I don't know what the hell is going on with this country but one place will give you a shot once for three things (Rabies included) that will last 12 years, another place will want to do 8 shots over the course of like a year and a half.
I don't understand how they've become so greatly varied at this point.
It's also stupid when they want to monitor something for Rabies for a year,.. two,.. four,.. But I think they use that excuse to control people and animals. Rabies doesn't take years... atleast not the ones these things concern themselves with.
Things related to Mad Cow, on the other hand, can take up to 20 years to start effecting the brain. I forget the words but some strains aren't active for years while you have them before they actually do something to you. There was a bunch of this junk that was in meats in the 80's in North America and United Kingdom, they first started showing effects in children, sick, and elderly like seven years later because of the strains. The words I use are going to be messed up because of reality at the moment. This junk won't nessarily kill you, but it does damage your brain. They suspected that most people would just be misdiagnosed since the whole thing was forgotten and it could take 15 years. I give up on typing, real life is messing with me too much right now.
I'm glad the boy is alive but seeing that the mountain lion didn't kill the boy, I wish they would test it for rabies and then set it free in an uninhabited area, instead of killing it.
Not really possible unfortunately. Brain tissue is what's tested for rabies, apparently blood can't be done. And according to wikipedia, the test can only be done post-mortem.
I'm glad the boy is alive but seeing that the mountain lion didn't kill the boy, I wish they would test it for rabies and then set it free in an uninhabited area, instead of killing it.
Not really possible unfortunately. Brain tissue is what's tested for rabies, apparently blood can't be done. And according to wikipedia, the test can only be done post-mortem.
Yeah. Someone told me the animal has to be euthanized first sad
100
500
100
