An 11-year-old girl is recovering after being attacked by a mountain lion in California.
At around 5:42 p.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 10, deputies were called to a home on the 32500 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu following reports of an animal attack, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release obtained by PEOPLE.
A child was found in the backyard of the property with a bite on her arm, per the news release. She was treated at the scene by Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel before being taken to the hospital by her parents for further care.
Having sustained injuries that “were not considered life-threatening,” the girl is expected to make a full recovery, local news outlet KTLA reported.
It has been alleged that the child was feeding chickens outside moments before the incident took place, according to KTLA.
Deputies located the mountain lion and contained it until the California Department of Fish and Game arrived at the scene, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department news release.
The animal was eventually shot and killed, KTLA reported. The identity of the mountain lion was confirmed after officials took DNA samples from the child and tested them against the animal.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, Aug. 11.
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The attack comes almost a year after a 5-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion while having a picnic with his family at Malibu Creek State Park.
“The children were playing in the immediate vicinity of the family’s picnic table when a mountain lion attacked a 5-year-old boy, causing significant but non-life-threatening injuries,” the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement at the time.
The animal was seen as “a threat to public safety,” resulting in a ranger using a firearm to euthanize the mountain lion.
The child was then airlifted to Northridge Hospital Medical Center before being discharged early Monday, Sept. 2.
This article by Gabrielle Rockson was first published by People on 11 August 2025. Lead Image: Mountain lion (stock image). Credit : Chase Swift/Getty.
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