A 4-year-old child was attacked Friday by an animal, believed to be a mountain lion, at a wildlife reserve in Poway, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The attack happened around 2:40 p.m. at the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, CDFW spokesman Tim Daly said.
The child was with a family of five who split off into two groups on the trail when the attack happened, he said.
The child received scratches on the back and thigh, but there was not enough breaking of the skin to cause bleeding. The child’s grandmother took the child to the hospital for an examination, the CDFW spokesman said.
The animal was described as a 3-foot tall brown animal with a long tail. The family scared off the animal by screaming at it.
Officials closed the trails and game wardens are searching around the clock for the animal. A DNA sample was taken from the victim in order to prove the attack came from a mountain lion, bobcat or another animal.
Daly said it is too soon to know what’s going to happen to the animal if found.
Blue Sky Ecological Reserve will be closed temporarily.
