Woman saves husband in lion attack

January 27 2007 at 12:50PM

San Francisco - A 65-year-old woman saved her husband's life after beating off a mountain lion which mauled him as they hiked in a California park, wildlife officials said Friday.

Nell Hamm attempted to gouge the lion's eyes with a pen before picking up a large branch and clubbing the big cat into submission after it sunk its jaws into her husband Jim's head during the attack on Wednesday.

Jim Hamm, 70, was recovering in hospital on Friday following the terrifying ordeal, which took place at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 563 kilometres north of San Francisco.

California Department of Fish and Game spokesperson Steve Martarano said Hamm had saved her husband's life.

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'There's no doubt she saved his life'
"There's no doubt she saved his life," Martarano told AFP. "She did everything right. When a lion attacks and it gets to the point where it has you in its jaws, the only thing to do is fight back.

"She tried gouging its eyes with a pen and when that didn't work she picked up a big branch and whacked him with it. She's a feisty little lady."

Following the attack, wildlife authorities closed the park and hunted the lion responsible. Two lions were later shot near the trail where the Hamms had been attacked.

Martarano said tests were taking place to determine if either of the lions had been responsible for the incident.

Although California is home to between 4 000-6 000 mountain lions, attacks on humans are rare.

Martarano said there have been only 16 recorded incidents since 1890, with six fatalities, the most recent in 2004.

"We have not done a complete survey so we don't have firm numbers, but nothing we have seen suggests the lion population is increasing or decreasing," he said.

"The reason sightings appear to have increased is because humans are moving into their habitat more and more. But there's never been an attack in a residential area," he added. - Sapa-AFP

I thought i know about animals but am at a loss over these mountain lions! are they in the same family with the lions we have in africa? And we have over 4000 in Carlifonia?

could someone shed some light here; pardon my ignorance please

ndungu

Original von Ndungu
I thought i know about animals but am at a loss over these mountain lions! are they in the same family with the lions we have in africa? And we have over 4000 in Carlifonia?

could someone shed some light here; pardon my ignorance please

ndungu

hi daniel,
fantastic you are participating!!!!
love to see your post and i include some information about "cougar" which i hope you apreciate!
YES there is some wildlife outside of africa
love - pippa

Range

Distributed widely throughout the western U.S., including all four deserts of the American Southwest.
Habitat

Mountain Lions live in many different types of habitats, from deserts to humid coast range forest, and from sea level to 10,000-foot elevations. They are generally most abundant in areas with plentiful deer and adequate cover.
Description

The Mountain Lion, also known as the Cougar, Panther or Puma, is the most widely distributed cat in the Americas. It is unspotted -- tawny-colored above overlaid with buff below. It has a small head and small, rounded, black-tipped ears. Its long tail is also black-tipped.

Adult males may be more than 8 feet long from nose to end of tail and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.

Mountain Lions are solitary, strongly territorial hunters who, unlike most cat species, may be active during the day. Normally, lions are very elusive, and people rarely get more than a brief glimpse of a Mountain Lion in the wild. They are, however, unpredictable and have been known to attack people.

The predatory behavior of a Mountain Lion is very similar to the domestic cat. The lion will attempt to conceal itself for a surprise attack while stalking its prey. A crouched position is assumed with the tail twitching and the ears upright. An agitated lion may snarl and lay its ears back.

Video available on this subject. For a video on the Mountain Lion Click Here Video available on this subject.

Check this new book on the Mountain Lion.

Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind!
Camping and Hiking in Mountain Lion Habitat
Please heed the following suggestions in order to reduce the chances of an unpleasant encounter with a Mountain Lion.

How to reduce the chances of an encounter with a Mountain Lion:

* Avoid hiking alone, especially between dusk and dawn, when lions normally do their hunting. Make plenty of noise while you hike so as to reduce the chances of surprising a lion.
* Always keep children in sight while hiking and within arm's reach in areas that can conceal a lion. Mountain Lions seem to be drawn to children.
* Hike with a good walking stick; this can be useful in warding off a lion.

How to reduce the chances of an attack when encountering a Mountain Lion:

* Do not approach a lion, especially if it is feeding or with its young. Most lions will avoid confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
* Stay calm and face the lion. Do not run because this may trigger the lion's instinct to attack. Try to appear larger by raising your hands.
* Pick up small children so they don't panic and run. This will also make you appear larger. Avoid bending over or crouching.
* If the lion acts aggressively, throw rocks, branches, or whatever can be obtained without turning your back or bending over.
* Fight back if attacked. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. People have successfully fought back with rocks, sticks, or bare hands.

Report any Mountain Lion sightings in a park to the park rangers

-- A.R Royo

Aha, Mountain Lion = Puma or Panther !!

Then I know them, too. But, isn't the name Mountain Lion misleading? Wouldn't it be better described as a leopard ?

Lets keep the Leopard name where it is and what it is - probably the most spectacular animal in the Kingdom....
I would say Paka ya USA

I agree, Nico.

A lion is a lion, a leopard is a leopard and a puma is a puma.

Now why they need to call a puma a mountain lion, I don't know. I guess, they want to give people the impression that America also has lions and not only Africa.

Can't be that something doesn't exist in America. :-O

Did you know that Greece also has buffalos? The Greek buffalo is a bit smaller than the African one and is usually black and white or brown. Locals hunt them for their meat or simply use the milk of the females. :-O