Mountain lion mauls boy: Mom Saves Child For Mountain Lion's Grip

The woman charged the animal, yanked away one of its paws and discovered her son's whole head was in its mouth.

Mountain lion mauls boy - A 5-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion in the state Colorado.

A mother in Colorado has been hailed for saving her son's life by prying the jaws of a mountain lion open as it bit him. He jumped in the vehicle with his wife and son and called 911 as they sped to the Aspen hospital.

Buglione says the mother had bite marks on her hand and scratches on her leg after the lion, estimated to be about 2 years old, ran off.

The Pitkin County sheriff Michael Buglione office told ABC7 the boy had been playing outside with his older brother Friday evening, about 8pm, when the mountain lion attacked, near their home about 10 miles northwest of Aspen. The 5-year-old boy was flown to a Denver hospital and treated for deep cuts in his head, face, and neck. While mountain lion populations are healthy across California, the situation is becoming increasingly dire for the isolated population in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife website offers advice on what residents should do if they encounter a mountain lion.

There are approximately 4,500 mountain lions in Colorado and they have killed three people in the state since 1990, The Associated Press reported. The father of the boy called 911 according to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office. "If you have deer, there is a good chance you'll find mountain lions".

The man was treated at a local clinic.

Just hours after the attack on the little boy officials killed two mountain lions in the area and the animals are now being examined to ascertain if they were diseased or undernourished.

CPW said that two lions "were seen in the near vicinity prior to the incident" - and according to The Aspen Times, a second big cat was tracked by hounds and killed early Saturday.