Mountain lion attacks 6-year-old boy in Silicon Valley

Authorities are searching for a mountain lion that attacked a 6-year-old boy in Cupertino and began dragging him away before his parents fought the animal off.

The attack against the boy, who was recovering from puncture wounds and scratches, occurred about 1:15 p.m. in an open space preserve adjacent to a winery in the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino, according to Lt. Patrick Foy of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The boy was in fair condition at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“The father told us that the mountain lion came out of nowhere and attacked the boy,” Foy said. “A 6-year-old child in no way can defend himself against a mountain lion. He was very lucky he was with his parents.”

Foy said authorities were searching for the lion and would deploy hounds on the trail Monday to track it. If DNA samples from the lion’s saliva on the boy’s torn clothing match any animal captured, it will be killed “in the interest of public safety,” he said.

All hiking trails in the area, managed by the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District, have been closed. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department warned the public to avoid the area.

There have been 13 verified mountain lion attacks in California between 1986 and 2013 resulting in three fatalities, according to the Fish and Wildlife agency’s website.

In the last attack, in July 2012, a mountain lion attacked a 63-year-old man on a camping trip near the Yuba River in Nevada County, but the victim successfully fought off the animal.

“It’s quite rare,” Foy said of attacks on humans. “People are far more likely to be attacked by a dog.”

Although mountain lions are “solitary and elusive” and tend to avoid humans, Foy said the public should be careful about potential encounters. About half of California is mountain lion habitat, and the animal is particularly prevalent in areas frequented by deer, its preferred prey.

Foy said anyone encountering a mountain lion or other wild animal should stand tall, wave their arms, shout aggressively and fight back if attacked. Other tips are included in the department’s campaign to minimize conflicts between humans and wild animals.

Twitter: @TeresaWatanabe

Teresa.Watanabe@latimes.com