An aggressive mountain lion that had lurked in the brushy hills of southern Orange County was shot and killed after it began stalking a mother and her two children after they set off on a day hike.
The woman, and a growing number of fellow hikers and passing mountain bikers, were unable to scare off the cougar, which at one point came within yards of her son.
Authorities said the cougar was hiding in the brush near a grade school when they arrived and then marched directly toward them, seemingly unafraid. The animal was shot and killed by a game warden.
The popular hiking trail, shaded by towering oaks and head-high brush, was the site of a fatal mauling in 2004, an incident that forced animal control officers to seal off the wilderness park. The wilderness park, which sits on the edge of suburban Lake Forest, was posted with warning signs again in February, when a cougar was spotted along the trail.
Madison Smith, 35, of Mission Viejo said she heard rustling in the bushes as she hiked with her two children Sunday along a stretch of trail near Foothill Ranch Elementary School.
She said the animal, described later by game officials as a 1-year-old, 60-pound male lion, suddenly pounced behind them, racing up within several yards of her 5-year-old son.
Another hiker, Joe Fleischaker, said he unsuccessfully attempted to scare away the mountain lion by yelling, putting his arms up and holding a branch. Rangers tell visitors who encounter cougars to hold their ground, stretch out their arms to appear big, yell or wave their arms.
But when the cougar didn't retreat, Smith said, she told her son Jackson to come toward her.
"As soon as Jackson moves back to me, the lion moved into a crouching position, bares its teeth and is ready to pounce on him," Smith said.
