Big Bend lion attack
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:23 pm
Scary for those of us who have walked with 6 yr olds to the same destination.
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6-year-old Leander boy suffers facial cuts in mountain lion attack at Big Bend National Park
By Mike Perry, Alpine Daily Planet
A 6-year-old Leander boy was injured in one of two mountain lion incidents reported in Big Bend National Park on Sunday involving a young, small, hungry lion.
No one was injured in the first incident Sunday afternoon but the boy, Rivers Hobbs, son of Jason Hobbs, suffered cuts and abrasions to his face in the second incident that occurred Sunday evening as the Hobbs family -- husband, wife and two young boys -- were walking to the restaurant in the Chisos Basin.
Rivers Hobbs was treated Sunday at Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine Sunday evening, and he returned to the hospital Monday afternoon for precautionary shots.
"I couldn't tell how big [it was]," Jason Hobbs said. "We heard something in the bushes along the side of the building and I shined my flashlight over that way. Then it lunged and grabbed ahold of Rivers by the face. ... The [mountain lion] had a face about the size of a melon, larger than a grapefruit."
The elder Rivers tried to pull the mountain lion off of Rivers. When that wouldn't work, he pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed the lion, which immediately let go of the boy and ran off.
I talked to Jason and Rivers Hobbs at Big Bend Regional about 2 p.m. Monday. Rivers seemed in good spirits and talkative about his ordeal.
The Hobbs family is from Leander and they were in the Big Bend on vacation.
"We'd planned to go on to Carlsbad later, but I think we'll just head home," Jason Hobbs said.
Sunday morning, on the Windows Trail in the Chisos Basin area, a lion tried to go after an 8-year-old, who was hiking with family. The Windows Trail is one of the park’s more popular trails and starts in the general area of the general store in the Chisos Basin.
The family reported that they tried yelling and tossing rocks at the small lion to no avail. The mom pushed her backpack at the lion, which grabbed the backpack and then took off.
Monday, a large force of park rangers and trackers with dogs are up in the Basin, trying to find the lion.
The Windows Trail, Windows View Trail, Pinnacles Trail, and the trails to and from the Basin Campground and the Basin are all closed.
Because of drought conditions, which have plagued the Big Bend area for the past 18 months, it seems that more sightings of big wild animals have been reported as they find their normal sources of food dying off or moving to other areas.
Park officials estimate there are probably 20 to 30 mountain lions living in Big Bend National Park. We usually have a hundred or so sightings a year, a ranger said. The lions each usually stake out a territory. One ranger speculated that the small lion involved in the two attacks -- they are pretty sure it's the same lion -- is a youngster just learning how to hunt.
Officials said there are a few things to remember if you encounter a wild animal, such as a mountain lion, in the park:
•Don't run. If you run, that simply encourages the animal to chase and attack you.
•Do not cower. Be as big as you can.
•Make noise, throw rocks.
Once the report was received, park rangers closed the high Chisos Mountain trails into the area at approximately 8 a.m. Sunday and began patrols for the animal. Additional park personnel began patrols to notify trail users of the closure and to evacuate the area. A trained, professional dog team has been summoned to the park to help track the lion; however, at this time the lion has not been located.
Trail and campsite closures include the Window Trail, which is closed until further notice; the Pinnacles, Boulder Meadow, and Juniper Flat campsites of the Chisos Mountains are closed until further notice. Children are not advised to hike in the Chisos Mountains at this time and visitors should check on trail closures, which may change.
The trails and campsites listed will remain closed until further notice. For updates or additional information, please call the park at 432-477-1107.
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6-year-old Leander boy suffers facial cuts in mountain lion attack at Big Bend National Park
By Mike Perry, Alpine Daily Planet
A 6-year-old Leander boy was injured in one of two mountain lion incidents reported in Big Bend National Park on Sunday involving a young, small, hungry lion.
No one was injured in the first incident Sunday afternoon but the boy, Rivers Hobbs, son of Jason Hobbs, suffered cuts and abrasions to his face in the second incident that occurred Sunday evening as the Hobbs family -- husband, wife and two young boys -- were walking to the restaurant in the Chisos Basin.
Rivers Hobbs was treated Sunday at Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine Sunday evening, and he returned to the hospital Monday afternoon for precautionary shots.
"I couldn't tell how big [it was]," Jason Hobbs said. "We heard something in the bushes along the side of the building and I shined my flashlight over that way. Then it lunged and grabbed ahold of Rivers by the face. ... The [mountain lion] had a face about the size of a melon, larger than a grapefruit."
The elder Rivers tried to pull the mountain lion off of Rivers. When that wouldn't work, he pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed the lion, which immediately let go of the boy and ran off.
I talked to Jason and Rivers Hobbs at Big Bend Regional about 2 p.m. Monday. Rivers seemed in good spirits and talkative about his ordeal.
The Hobbs family is from Leander and they were in the Big Bend on vacation.
"We'd planned to go on to Carlsbad later, but I think we'll just head home," Jason Hobbs said.
Sunday morning, on the Windows Trail in the Chisos Basin area, a lion tried to go after an 8-year-old, who was hiking with family. The Windows Trail is one of the park’s more popular trails and starts in the general area of the general store in the Chisos Basin.
The family reported that they tried yelling and tossing rocks at the small lion to no avail. The mom pushed her backpack at the lion, which grabbed the backpack and then took off.
Monday, a large force of park rangers and trackers with dogs are up in the Basin, trying to find the lion.
The Windows Trail, Windows View Trail, Pinnacles Trail, and the trails to and from the Basin Campground and the Basin are all closed.
Because of drought conditions, which have plagued the Big Bend area for the past 18 months, it seems that more sightings of big wild animals have been reported as they find their normal sources of food dying off or moving to other areas.
Park officials estimate there are probably 20 to 30 mountain lions living in Big Bend National Park. We usually have a hundred or so sightings a year, a ranger said. The lions each usually stake out a territory. One ranger speculated that the small lion involved in the two attacks -- they are pretty sure it's the same lion -- is a youngster just learning how to hunt.
Officials said there are a few things to remember if you encounter a wild animal, such as a mountain lion, in the park:
•Don't run. If you run, that simply encourages the animal to chase and attack you.
•Do not cower. Be as big as you can.
•Make noise, throw rocks.
Once the report was received, park rangers closed the high Chisos Mountain trails into the area at approximately 8 a.m. Sunday and began patrols for the animal. Additional park personnel began patrols to notify trail users of the closure and to evacuate the area. A trained, professional dog team has been summoned to the park to help track the lion; however, at this time the lion has not been located.
Trail and campsite closures include the Window Trail, which is closed until further notice; the Pinnacles, Boulder Meadow, and Juniper Flat campsites of the Chisos Mountains are closed until further notice. Children are not advised to hike in the Chisos Mountains at this time and visitors should check on trail closures, which may change.
The trails and campsites listed will remain closed until further notice. For updates or additional information, please call the park at 432-477-1107.
