A homeless man survived a mountain lion attack in California, reported local authorities on Monday.
According to information published by CBS, a 50-year-old man, whose identity has not been revealed, was bit and mauled by a mountain lion, which left him with various injuries when he camped close to highways 74, west of Perris, the night of Saturday, Feb. 1.
Officer Patrick Foy, of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told the media that the man was taken to a hospital in the area to receive medical attention for the severe injuries that corresponded to a large feline attack.
Foy said that the unidentified man was unable to determine what kind of animal had attacked him; however, his doctors determined that the injuries he presented were compatible to those caused by a mountain lion.
"We're 99 percent sure it was a mountain lion. We reached this conclusion based on the victim's injuries and the amount of injuries," said Foy, according to CBS.
After being interned in the hospital, biologists and police officers combed the area to try to locate the animal, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The same source detailed that if found, the animal must be killed in "the interest of public safety".
This is the first attack of its kind that happens near Perris, since mountain lion attacks are uncommon, Foy said.
If the theory that it was a feline is confirmed, this would be the fifteenth time a mountain lion attacks a human in California. According to Los Angeles Times. The last fatal attack took place in 2004, at the Whiting Ranch Regional Park, in Orange County.
"The main priority for any public order agency is the safety of people, and we're everything we can to find and capture this animal before it can hurt anyone else," said Dan Sforza, the deputy chief of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Video via KTLA:
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