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Fish and Game wardens and a tracker scoured the area north of Bennett Street in Grass Valley Friday in search of a female mountain lion that allegedly attacked a transient. But after a day-long effort, authorities found only a very aggressive dog.
Early Friday morning, a man with a “substantial wound” to his arm told a Grass Valley Police officer he had been attacked by a mountain lion, said Police Capt. Dave Remillard. The man allegedly had been camping in the unincorporated area between Bennett Street and Idaho-Maryland Road and was mauled by a female lion with two cubs.
“He allegedly fed one of the cubs,” Remillard said.
The man was taken to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital by friends, but walked out against medical advice without receiving treatment, he said.
“We have been unable to locate him and confirm the attack,” Remillard said.
Because of prior reports of sightings in the area, the police department treated the report as an attack, he added.
In mid-June, a man walking his dog near Memorial Park's playground encountered a tan-colored mountain lion about the size of a German shepherd.
The mountain lion was last seen in the watery ditch where contaminated water from the Magenta Drain Tunnel Outlet spills from Empire Mine State Park.
After investigating, Grass Valley police discovered two other people who had spotted a lion in the neighborhood that week, but did not report the sightings.
Friday morning, four wardens from the state Department of Fish and Game and a federal tracker with dogs responded to the reported attack and made an extensive area check, Remillard said. Nevada County Sheriff's deputies also assisted in the search.
“They found no sign of a mountain lion, no tracks,” Remillard said. “They did encounter an aggressive dog” in an area that was used by transients to camp.
“It's possible the dog could have caused the injury and he might not have wanted to report it,” Remillard said.
Animal Control seized the dog, he said.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229
Early Friday morning, a man with a “substantial wound” to his arm told a Grass Valley Police officer he had been attacked by a mountain lion, said Police Capt. Dave Remillard. The man allegedly had been camping in the unincorporated area between Bennett Street and Idaho-Maryland Road and was mauled by a female lion with two cubs.
“He allegedly fed one of the cubs,” Remillard said.
The man was taken to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital by friends, but walked out against medical advice without receiving treatment, he said.
“We have been unable to locate him and confirm the attack,” Remillard said.
Because of prior reports of sightings in the area, the police department treated the report as an attack, he added.
In mid-June, a man walking his dog near Memorial Park's playground encountered a tan-colored mountain lion about the size of a German shepherd.
The mountain lion was last seen in the watery ditch where contaminated water from the Magenta Drain Tunnel Outlet spills from Empire Mine State Park.
After investigating, Grass Valley police discovered two other people who had spotted a lion in the neighborhood that week, but did not report the sightings.
Friday morning, four wardens from the state Department of Fish and Game and a federal tracker with dogs responded to the reported attack and made an extensive area check, Remillard said. Nevada County Sheriff's deputies also assisted in the search.
“They found no sign of a mountain lion, no tracks,” Remillard said. “They did encounter an aggressive dog” in an area that was used by transients to camp.
“It's possible the dog could have caused the injury and he might not have wanted to report it,” Remillard said.
Animal Control seized the dog, he said.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229
