Report of Mountain Lion Assault in South Reno Released by Wildlife Officials

NEVADA – More information regarding the mountain lion attack on a young female in South Reno, which resulted in the euthanization of the animal, was released by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW).

The meeting took place in the Virginia Foothills in South Reno on the morning of November 10. According to reports, a 14-year-old girl was out walking her Great Pyrenees on Terry Way near her home when she became aware of a small mountain lion following her.

According to NDOW game wardens, the girl did everything right to scare away the mountain lion. This included facing it, hurling pebbles, and making loud noises. Yet, the mountain lion pounced on the girl after she was knocked to the ground, perhaps as a result of her dog being frightened. Right after it had her, the animal bolted.

The girl’s leg was punctured by what looks to be the mountain lion’s dewclaw, but otherwise she and her dog are unharmed.

The mountain lion’s aggressive conduct, lack of fear of a human yelling, and the presence of a dog led game wardens to the conclusion that the animal posed a threat to public safety.

“For a mountain lion, this is rather unusual behavior. Mountain lions are notoriously difficult to spot, so much less have an encounter with one, as public information officer Ashley Sanchez of Nevada’s Department of Wildlife explained. “We assume the mountain lion, which was underweight, attacked because it was desperate for food, or this was practice hunting behavior for the animal, based on its small size and the fact that it promptly rushed away,” the authors write.

A separate government organization, the USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Services, was called in by the game wardens, and once they confirmed that the mountain lion they spotted was the one responsible for the attack, they put an end to it.

Following reports of further mountain lion activity in the Virginia Foothills, game wardens are presently looking into the claims, according to NDOW authorities. Many juniper trees and bushes populate the area, making it an ideal home for the elusive mountain lion.

While attacks from mountain lions are extremely uncommon, we do live in great mountain lion habitat in western Nevada. A variety of fauna, such as deer and small mammals, populate the area around us. “Mountain lions will be found wherever there is game,” Sanchez remarked.

Credits: My News 4