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Recently, there have been too many scary stories of small children's encounters with wildlife, but at least this one has a relatively happy ending. A mom in Colorado saved her 5-year-old son from the clutches of a mountain lion in their back yard on Friday, CNN reported.
The boy and his older brother were playing outside when their mother heard screams. She ran outside and "had to physically remove the lion's paws from her son's face," sheriff's spokesman Alex Burchetta told PEOPLE.
The boy is at Children's Hospital in Denver and is receiving treatment for injuries to his face, head and neck. He is reportedly in fair condition. The mother was treated for minor wounds to her hands and legs but was released from the hospital.
Members of the U.S. Forest Service located the mountain lion they believed was responsible for the attack and put it down Friday night.
"Lion attacks on people are rare, with fewer than a dozen fatalities in North America in more than 100 years," the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website said. It recommended fighting back if one attacks.
