Deadly and Rare Mountain Lion Attack In El Dorado County

• Deadly Mountain Lion Attack In California

• Two Brothers Searching For Antlers - One Dead, One Injured

An unidentified 21-year-old-man and his 18 year-old-brother were in a remote part of El Dorado County California hunting for "shed" deer antlers on Saturday when they were attacked by a Mountain Lion.

Frantic Cry For Help -"the lions had him"

According to law enforcement dispatch the scene of the attack was near an area known as Darling Ridge Road near Dutch Canyon in the Eldorado National Forest, 70 miles northeast of Sacramento.

Wildlife officials believe it's the first fatal cougar attack in California in at least 20 years. The big cat was tracked down and killed.

The Sacramento Bee reports:

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Mountain Lions Enjoy Protected Status In California

The 18-year-old brother was bitten in the face and “was pretty cut up but doing OK”. The Bee reported the man locked himself behind a gate following the attack. He was taken to an area hospital, has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries, and is expected to make a full recovery.

An estimated 4,500 California mountain lions are protected by law from being hunted.  Proposition 117 passed in 1990 designating mountain lions as a specially protected mammal.

KIT newsman Lance Tormey interviewed a man last September who was charged by a cougar near Rimrock Lake west of Yakima, Washington.  You can read more about that attack and see pictures of the animal HERE.

Just one month ago I posted a story about how rare such attacks are and how to keep yourself safe in mountain lion country.