Never underestimate the power of mom strength, because it literally saved a kid’s life when a totally badass matriarch punched a mountain lion after it took hold of her son and dragged him nearly 45 yards.
The attack happened in Calabasas, California, where the five-year-old boy was playing in a tree near his house. Suddenly, he was attacked by the mountain lion, who grabbed him and started dragging him. Fortunately, his mom was there to save the day, as she heard her son screaming and immediately headed his way in order to protect him by any means necessary.
According to Captain Patrick Foy, a spokesman with the California department of fish and wildlife, the mom began “punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son.” The unnamed mom then took her son to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries to his head, neck, and upper torso. Officials have said that the boy is in stable condition, and they euthanized the mountain lion after the attack.
“The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life,” he told the Guardian.
This is hardly the first time that a parent has gone into superhero mode in order to protect their family from a wild animal, including Ian O’Reilly, who wrestled a coyote that tried to attack his family while they were on a walk in the woods near their New Hampshire home. Sometimes, that’s just part of what being a parent is all about… though all of us would rather it not be.
Thankfully, you most likely won’t have to fight off any mountain lions or coyotes attacking your kid, as these attacks are actually extremely rare. There have only been four validated mountain lion attacks in the entire state of California since 2019. And, unfortunately for at least one of those mountain lions, they crossed paths with a mother who was more than ready to throw hands.