Mountain Lion Injures Man Who Was Protecting His Dog From An Attack On Malibu Trail

MALIBU, CA — The Solstice Canyon hiking area was closed Wednesday after a mountain lion attempted to attack a dog and wounded a man who tried to intervene, according to the National Park Service.

The person was walking his small dog on a leash at the time of the attempted attack on Tuesday morning. The owner received a scratch and puncture wound on his hand from the young cougar. The dog was not injured, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said in a statement.

"He was able to grab the dog and keep the lion from capturing it,'" Seth Riley, the NPS wildlife branch chief told LAist.

Only one mountain lion tried to attack the dog, but Riley said the owner said he spotted two others nearby.

Park officials also said they spotted a young mountain lion in the area.

After the incident, park officials closed the area until 8 am. Thursday while wildlife biologists assessed the situation.

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