California Man Was Attacked by a House Cat, Not a Cougar, DNA Test Determines
Posted 2024-08-02 by
The 19-year-old dirt bike rider believed the cat that jumped out of a tree and attacked him was a mountain lion, but a forensic test suggested otherwise
DNA analysis confirms that it was a house cat and not a mountain lion that attacked a California dirt bike rider. (Photo by Stephanie Mallory)
A 19-year-old dirt bike rider reported he’d been likely attacked by a mountain lion after a feline jumped from a tree and knocked him off of his bike in Arroyo Grande, California, but DNA analysis indicates it was a house cat instead.
In an email to The Tribune, the dirt biker’s father said his son suffered a minor concussion from the impact of flying off of his dirt bike and that his helmet visor was torn off.
After receiving a report of a suspected mountain lion attack, California Fish and Wildlife launched an investigation and sent DNA samples of the victim’s clothing and helmet to the department’s Wildlife Forensic Laboratory in Sacramento for genetic testing, where it was determined that the DNA was from a house cat.
The victim declined any medical treatment and, according to unofficialnetworks.com, maintains he was attacked by a mountain lion despite the forensic evidence to the contrary.
