Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Climate and Environment

Mountain lion attacks 11-year-old girl in Malibu, then chases her mother

A tan mountain lion with a dark brown snout and eyelids lies down in a bed of grass surround by rocks with pointed ears. His paws sit in front of him. The front half of his body is covered in sunlight.
Mountain lion attacks are rare, but resources are available if you should encounter one.
(
Department of Fish and Wildlife
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 

Topline:

A mountain lion attacked an 11-year-old girl in Malibu on Sunday and chased her mom and sibling outside their family home before it was eventually tracked down and euthanized.

What we know: The child was attacked while carrying out her chores at the family’s chicken coop around 5:45 p.m., according to Peter Tira with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The girl was treated for injuries to her arm, leg and lower back.

What about the mountain lion? After interviewing witnesses, state officials say the young adult male mountain lion was located nearby and euthanized. DNA testing is expected at the end of Monday to ensure it was the same animal involved in the attack.

Support for LAist comes from

Big picture: Mountain lion attacks are rare but do happen. A 5-year-old boy was attacked in Malibu Creek almost a year ago and two brothers were attacked by a male mountain lion in a remote area in El Dorado County in March 2024. You can learn more about what to do if you encounter a mountain lion here.

Go deeper: Listen for more about our ability to coexist with wildlife in an increasingly urban world.

Listen 50:06
Lions, Coyotes, & Bears: Part 1 - The Mountain Lion Celebrity

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist