Woman Gouged Mountain Lion's Eyes As It Attacked Her 'Hero' Dog

A woman in California gouged the eyes of a mountain lion as it attacked her pet dog, which had just saved her from the predator.

The attack took place at around 3 p.m on Monday in Trinity County, according to wildlife officials.

The woman, Eva Wilson, who lives in a rural part of the county, was taking the dog for a walk alongside the Trinity River. But the peaceful walk quickly turned into horrific ordeal when a mountain lion pounced on her, resulting in an injury to her left shoulder, according to a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

Wilson screamed for her dog—a Belgian Malinois named Eva—who was standing a few yards away.

The dog came running to defend her owner by attacking the cougar. But the much larger cat managed to grab the dog by the head in its jaws.

"They fought for a couple seconds, and then I heard her start crying. That's when the cat latched on to her skull," Wilson told The Sacramento Bee.

The woman tried to do everything she could do free the dog—including throwing rocks at the cat and gouging its eyes—but she was not able to free her pet.

A mountain lion
Stock image showing a mountain lion. A “hero” dog saved a woman from a mountain lion attack in northern California. iStock

Wilson then ran to a nearby road, State Route 299, and managed to flag down a passing vehicle. The woman in the car, Sharon Houston, agreed to help and picked a up a can of pepper spray, as well as a PVC pipe to use as weapons.

Houston sprayed the mountain lion with the pepper spray, but the animal was not deterred. The mountain lion then tried to drag the dog away off the trail but Wilson and Houston began beating it with the pipe. Eventually, the big cat let the dog go.

Wilson rushed Eva to a veterinary clinic. Officials said the dog suffered "major" injuries in the attack and it remains to be seen whether or not she will pull through.

After taking the dog to the vets, Wilson sought medical attention for herself. Her injuries were not life-threatening, but her body was covered in bites, scratches and bruises.

Officials are now attempting to trap the mountain lion that was responsible for the attack.

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) are a large cat species native to the Americas, with a range stretching from Canada's Yukon Territory to the Strait of Magellan in the south. In the United States, they are mostly found in 14 western states, inhabiting environments including mountains, forests, deserts and wetlands.

Human encounters with mountain lions are rare, and the chances of being attacked are extremely small, but wildlife authorities recommend that people stay alert in mountain lion country.

"As a reminder, people should always be vigilant when recreating in mountain lion habitat," the CDFW said in a statement.

In a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for her dog's veterinary bills, Wilson said the pet had "saved her life."

"My dog is my hero and I owe her my life," Wilson said in the GoFundMe.

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Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ... Read more

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