Big Bend lion attack

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Beto
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Big Bend lion attack

Post by Beto »

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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MtHurd
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by MtHurd »

Please, no one go to Big Bend National Park, it's too dangerous. Let me go check it out first and I'll let you know if it is safe. :D
Beto
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by Beto »

Barry Raven wrote:Please, no one go to Big Bend National Park, it's too dangerous. Let me go check it out first and I'll let you know if it is safe. :D
Luckily, Spring Break is approaching. So the park should be empty for quite awhile.
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highpilgrim
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by highpilgrim »

Barry Raven wrote:Please, no one go to Big Bend National Park, it's too dangerous. Let me go check it out first and I'll let you know if it is safe. :D
:D The lions are breeding out of control. It will be a bloodbath if you go there. Not to mention the bears.

A beautiful place, Big Bend. This view from the south rim is from my cell. I'll post a larger one tomorrow.
bb.jpg
bb.jpg (5.57 KiB) Viewed 4600 times
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson

Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
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highpilgrim
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by highpilgrim »

A larger version of Big Bend looking south from the Chisos Mountains across the Rio Grande into Mexico with Elephant Tusk left of center. Awesome place!
south rim.jpg
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Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson

Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
peter303
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by peter303 »

I recall the three current-era Colorado fatalities were (1) high school kid jogging in Idaho Springs foothills, (2) kid hiking with parents on west side of Rocky National Park and (3) another kid hiking with his family in north Colorado. They seem to like to go after separated children.
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Mel McKinney
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by Mel McKinney »

"We'd planned to go on to Carlsbad later, but I think we'll just head home," Jason Hobbs said.
Probably a good idea in the meantime. :shock:

Seriously though. How scary for these children. Way to go parents on fighting back. There have been some scary, crazy mtn lion stories on this site in years past. Some close calls.
Mountains cast spells on me - Why, because of the way Earth-heaps lie, should I be Chocked by joy mysteriously; stilled or drunken-gay? Why should a brown hill trail Tug at my feet to go? Why should a boggy swale Tune my heart to a nameless tale Mountain marshes know?
--- Belle Turnbull ("Mountain-Mad")
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MtHurd
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Re: Big Bend lion attack

Post by MtHurd »

Found this pic of the 5th class North Mule Ear in BBNP.

Image
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