Mountain Lion Euthanized After Attacking Brothers In California, Killing One Man

In a rare attack against humans, a mountain lion murdered a man and injured his brother when they were in a rural area of Northern California.

Brural Lion Attack

(Photo : Getty Images/ARNAUD FINISTRE)

According to a statement from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, the brothers were attacked in Georgetown, California, roughly 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.

At approximately 1:13 p.m. On Saturday, the younger brother contacted 911 to say that he and his sibling had been attacked and separated.

Mount Aukum's Brooks family identified the men as Taylen Brooks, 21, and Wyatt Brooks, 18.

Deputies and paramedics responded and assisted the younger brother. Deputies then began looking, and they discovered the mountain lion crouched next to the older brother, according to officials.

"The mountain lion was between the deputies and the subject on the ground," the sheriff's office reported.

Deputies fired rounds to scare the animal away so they could help the older brother.

Taylen died after the attack, while his brother, Wyatt, is still recovering from "traumatic" injuries sustained during the attack and is expected to recover completely.

The mountain lion was later discovered by wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and an El Dorado County trapper.

The animal was killed, and its body was retrieved for further investigation. The DNA from the euthanized animal showed it was the same animal that fatally attacked the man.

The authorities are now investigating the reason for the attack.

According to the Brooks family's written statement, Taylen Robert Claude Brooks worked with his father to paint houses and cut firewood. The family said that the older brother loved being outside.

"He was a very kind and gentle soul and will be deeply missed by all who knew him," the family said in a statement.

Wyatt enjoys baseball and bow hunting and has been training to be a fireman at the Mt. Adams Fire Academy since September. The young man wants to work for Cal Fire, California's wildland firefighting department.

The brothers went out looking for deer antler shedding, an activity they enjoyed together in the spring before the grass got too tall to view the shed antlers, the family disclosed.

Extremely Rare Incident

Mountain lion assaults on humans are uncommon, according to the state agency. This marks the first deadly mountain lion assault in California in 30 years.

The last fatal mountain lion attack in the state occurred in 2004, when a 35-year-old man was murdered at Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's list of "verified mountain lion-human attacks."

"According to historical reports, four fatal incidents involving six victims occurred around the turn of the previous century," the agency notes.

According to California wildlife officials, there have been fewer than 50 confirmed mountain lion attacks on humans in the state since 1890, with only six fatal. According to the department, in most cases, the victim was alone at the time of the incident.

The mountain lion has about 40 different common names, including puma, cougar, panther, red tiger, catamount, and screamer.

They live in a variety of settings throughout California, including temperate redwood forests, foothills, and mountains.