Mountain lion that attacked 6-year-old boy tests negative for rabies

The mountain lion that attacked a 6-year-old boy in Cupertino, Calif., this past weekend did not have rabies, authorities confirmed Friday.

The boy, who was treated for puncture wounds and cuts to his head and neck, will now stop receiving the rabies shots he’d been taking since being attacked Sunday, said Kirsten Macintyre, spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She described the shot regimen as a “very unpleasant process,” but a necessary precaution.

Genetic testing had also confirmed that the male, 74-pound mountain lion had indeed attacked the boy. Officials said the cat was 2 years old and healthy.

The unusually aggressive mountain lion was discovered Wednesday 70 feet up a tree near the Picchetti Ranch Zinfandel Trail area after days of searching. Determining that the large cat posed a risk to public safety, game wardens, trackers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and search dogs had been deployed in the search effort.

The boy and his parents had been hiking Sunday afternoon when the mountain lion attacked and then tried to drag the boy into the brush, authorities said.

But the boy’s parents were able to fight off the cat, which continued to stalk the family as they fled to their vehicle.

Wildlife officials said an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions live in California and they typically avoid interaction with humans. Attacks like the one that occurred on Sunday are rare.

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