Jul 13, 2008 7:10 pm US/Pacific
Palo Alto Man Avoids Harm In Mountain Lion Attack
PALO ALTO (BCN) ―
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A mountain lion rests in a tree.
AP
A man in his 50s who was attacked by a mountain lion at a Palo Alto park over the weekend "narrowly" escaped being bitten when the cat missed its target and tumbled down a hill, police said Sunday.
The man was walking along a trail in the northwest corner of Foothills Park about 4 p.m. Saturday when the mountain lion jumped on him from behind, causing the man to fall about 15 feet down a hill until he collided with a tree, Palo Alto police Agent Dan Ryan said.
The mountain lion, estimated to be about 5 feet long, also lost its balance and tumbled past the man and into a creek below, according to Ryan.
The cat subsequently scampered off, leaving the man uninjured but shaken, Ryan said.
Authorities believe the carnivorous cat may have been an adolescent and misjudged its prey.
"Typically mountain lions will attack from behind and try to scratch you and get your shoulders or neck," Ryan said. "In this case we believe it was an adolescent lion that was misjudging its quarry and terrain."
A mountain lion was also spotted Saturday at the Enid Pearson Arastradero Reserve, according to Ryan.
That reserve, as well as Foothills Park, have been closed indefinitely while authorities search for the cat.
"We're concerned for public safety," Ryan said. "(The cat) is attacking a 160-pound male; that's pretty serious."
Ryan did not know what will happen to the cat if it is captured.
The incident was the first reported mountain lion attack in Palo Alto, although mountain lions have been spotted in residential areas numerous times.
In 2002, police fatally shot a mountain lion found sitting in a tree about a block from a school, Ryan said.
Anyone who encounters a mountain lion should make loud noises to try to scare the animal away, Ryan said.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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