Sleeping man attacked by mountain lion

By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

A man was attacked by a mountain lion near Nevada City early Sunday while sleeping alongside a tributary of the Yuba River.

The California Department of Fish and Game confirmed the unusual attack after investigating the scene and the man’s injuries.

Fish and Game said the man was traveling through Nevada County on a planned hiking trip when he decided to stop for the night to sleep. He laid a sleeping bag out on the ground and went to sleep. Around 1 a.m., he was attacked in the sleeping bag by a mountain lion for what he described as 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

The man said the animal bit and clawed him through the sleeping bag, through a cap he was wearing and through his clothes. The lion ceased the attack, looked at him from 15 feet away for another 15 to 30 seconds, then ran into the night.

Read the whole story