A mountain lion that was shot out of a tree by California wildlife officers has been confirmed by DNA testing to be the same cat that attacked a 6-year-old boy earlier this week, state officials said on Friday.
Samples of DNA taken from the 74-pound cougar during a necropsy and forensic examination matched saliva left on the boy's shirt following the encounter on Sunday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a written statement.
Lab tests also determined that the mountain lion was about two years old, healthy and did not have rabies, the department said.
The boy was hiking on a trail with family and friends in a densely wooded preserve adjacent to a winery, just west of the town of Cupertino, when the mountain lion pounced on him and tried to drag him away, his parents told officials.
The boy's father and another man in the group rushed shouting at the animal, and it retreated into the woods.
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