rabid lion in AZ

[Emily]

this news story seems to be lacking in supporting detail... anyone know more about this? the lion attacked a boy riding an atv and was shot by family members.

http://www.kpho.com/news/15557876/detail.html

Rabid Mountain Lion Attacks Boy, 10
POSTED: 4:03 pm MDT March 10, 2008
UPDATED: 5:55 pm MDT March 10, 2008

PHOENIX -- A rabid mountain lion like the one pictured attacked a 10-year-old boy north of Phoenix on Saturday, before being shot to death by a family member, said Randy Babb of the Arizona Department Game and Fish.
READ: Arizona Mountain Lions Behavior
"The family was riding all-terrain vehicles, took a break and while relaxing, an adult female mountain lion attacked the boy," Babb said.

The boy was lucky to have suffered only minor scratches to his back, Babb said.
The incident occurred in the Tonto National Forest in an area called Sheep Bridge in the extreme southeast corner of Yavapai County.
The region is on the back side of the Mazatzal Mountains, a rugged mix of desert chaparral and pinyon-juniper vegetation, according to Tom Cadden, public information officer for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"One of the adults shot the animal and transported it back to their residence," Babb said.
The mountain lion was then submitted to the Arizona State Health Laboratory for testing. The boy and several others who may have been exposed to the cat will undergo preventative rabies treatment over the next few weeks, Babb said.
"Very seldom ever to see large mammals with rabies," according to Babb. "They're more common in bats, skunks and gray foxes. We're not expecting to see any more animals this large with rabies."
Babb stressed the attack was mostly likely an isolated incident.
So far this year, 14 animals have tested positive for rabies at the ADHS State Health Laboratory, including two others in the last week -- a coatimundi from the Oracle area and a rabid fox from the Clifton area. There were no human exposures in those cases, but three dogs were exposed to the rabid fox.
At least 27 pets have been exposed to rabid animals this year, according to Game & Fish officials.
"It is imperative for pet owners to immunize their animals against rabies and to ensure that these vaccinations are kept up to date," said State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Elisabeth Lawaczeck.

[TomJr]

It made the 5:00 news but was lacking detail like you said. Showed the boy's "scratches" (I have gotten bigger scratches playing rough with my dogs...) and showed the lion being loaded into a truck. Was realy realy small one I would say at most 60lbs.

[Emily]

from the Arizona Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/community/west ... n0311.html


10-year-old calm as lion attacked, grampa recalls
Lily Leung
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 11, 2008 07:57 AM

Ten-year-old Paul John Schalow and his cousin, Brittany, 9, sat along the Verde River on Saturday afternoon after their family set up camp, passing the time by filling their cups with sand.

Moments later, their grandfather Newton Smith remembers someone yelling "look," turning everyone's attention toward a mountain lion hovering over Paul.

The El Mirage boy, who was celebrating his 10th birthday in the Tonto National Forest, remained calm even as he was attacked by the animal. The cat tested positive for rabies, the Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed on Monday.






The boy's uncle shot the lion in time for the youngster to escape with only scratches on his back.

"The kids were cool as could be," said Smith, a Glendale resident. "Paul said to himself, when the lion was on him, 'I know he's trying to push me, and I wasn't going to let him'." The victim and five family members who were exposed to the infected lion will start a series of post-exposure rabies shots as a health precaution, said Randy Babb, a biologist with the Arizona Game & Fish Department.

Babb said it was the first recorded incident in his 20-year career at the department in which a rabid mountain lion has attacked a person.

"It's very unusual," Babb said. "You see rabies in mostly rats, foxes, skunks, other species. It's an unusual occurrence when you see rabies in a lion."

Paul and his family told officials they were taking a lunch break after riding their ATVs near the Verde River at Sheep Crossing The area is a trailhead for a network of trails in the Mazatzal Mountains.

As a result of the unusual encounter, Smith, his grandchildren and three other family members will be featured talking about it Wednesday on the Today show in New York.

Smith said the lion scratched Paul on his shoulder, drawing blood. The rabid animal then opened its mouth and put its teeth on Paul's head. The lion finally stepped away from the boy and looked at him while opening his mouth.

Paul's uncle reportedly took up his pistol and shot the lion, which was an older female, then loaded it in the family's truck and took it to Smith's home in Glendale.

The family then reported the incident to the Arizona Game & Fish Department.

Smith said he performed an impromptu autopsy on the lion, discovering skunk parts in his stomach.

Officials from the wildlife agency went to the family's residence Sunday and took the carcass for rabies testing.

It is unusual for people to encounter mountain lions, Babb said, because they usually avoid interaction with humans. When one wanders toward a family without being provoked, he said, "It's a sure sign that something is wrong with that animal."

It is likely the lion was in the late stages of rabies called the "rage stage," which is characterized by unbalanced walking, frothing of the mouth and attacking for no reason, he said.

Babb said the family was in the right to shoot the lion, but said it was not proper protocol to transport the animal before calling wildlife officials.

"It should have been reported right away," he said. "That probably would have limited the exposure to the potentially rabid animal."

Officials from the Arizona Game & Fish Department said there are about 3,000 to 4,500 mountain lions in the state. There is no particular concentration of them in the area where the attack took place, which is highland area with different species of wildlife.

Wildlife authorities suspect this incident is isolated and caused by a rabid animal attacking the mountain lion in question.

Anyone wishing to report wild-animal attack is urged to call 602-942-3000, which operates 24 hours a day.

Fourteen animals so far this year have tested positive for rabies at the state laboratory, said Michael Murphy, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Two of those were detected within the last two weeks: a coatimundi, a member of the raccoon family, in the Oracle area, and a rabid fox in the Clifton area. No humans were affected in either case, but three dogs were exposed to the rabid fox.

The agency reportts at least 27 pets in the state were exposed to rabid animals this year.

"It is imperative for pet owners to immunize their animals against rabies and to ensure that these vaccinations are kept up to date," said state Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Elisabeth Lawaczeck.

Any others who may have had direct contact with the rabid lion should call the ADHS Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Disease Section at 602-364-4562. For more information, visit the ADHS Web site at www.azdhs.gov/phs/oids/vector/rabies.

[Mike Leonard]

These biologist might want to sit down and talk to a lion hunter some day before they make a statement that was loose.

Ok you desert hunters out there. Which animal is the most likely to contract and display rabies in the western states? Tick, Tock Tick Tock

BZZZZZ! Squint Peepers from Bloody Basin says the skunk. What do you think audience, yes or no. BZZZZ! Correctomundo the skunk in it's many variations is the most likely carrier of rabies to be encountered.

Next Question: In desert and semi desert regions what small nocturnal animal rated right at the top of the list of favorite foods for (feliz concolor) the cougar ( alias mountain lion, puma, panther)?


Tick Tock Tick Tock BZZZZ! Stoney Bluffs from Mule Creek says the rabbit. Yes or No BZZZZ! Sorry Stoney rabbit is not the correct answer.


BZZZZ! Homer Lost from Skull Valley says the skunk. Audience we have already used that answer once what do you think ? Skunk yes or no?
BZZZZ! Yes! skunk is the correct answer again.

Any self respecting desert lion will not pass up this spicey, aromatic and tastey treat. Reckon the poor old skunk may get a nip in now and then before he succombs to the crunch and viola! if he is rabid, chances are we might have another rabid lion on the mountain.I am sure it happens a lot more than we know but lions live in such remote country most of the time they succumb to the desise and are never found. After all just how many lions have you found out there wandering around that have just died from old age or any other reason? Not many I would guess.BZZZZ!

[TomJr]

I didn't know they liked skunk that much. Makes sence though skunks are super easy to kill and if killed fast there is not much stink(my dogs sure don't seem to mind it haha). I do know they love Javalina and those smell alot like skunk. Lions also eat alot of couatimundi... they predy much whiped them out in this area 2 years ago. A person doing a study on couatimudi had 9 radio collared and lost them all in less than a week to a young lion.

I treat all skunks as rabid... they seem to be somewhat resistant to the disease. By that I mean they can live a long time in the incubation stage, years even, this makes them very good carriers of rabies.

[Mike Leonard]

They eat a lot of them Chullos or Tejons as they are called south of the border. They are a pretty mean little animal and run in groups a lot unlike the coon their ringtailed cousin which also is on the lions menu.Lions also love a good porcupine when they can find one and they get pretty adept at flipping them over and polish them off. They do some quills but not many and they don't seem to bother them much. I have caught a number of them that had some quills in their fron lower legs. The first time I ever found a porky hide laying quill side down on the snowy ground it just amazed me how a lion could do that but they get pretty handy at it.

[Catman]

Mike,
I agree...the first time I found a porky kill I was amazed at the tact that lion had of cleaning one up that good. I too have skinned quite a few lions with quills just under the hide, and caught a few with a few quills in the nose, but I was surprised that they didn't have more stuck in them. Have you ever caught one with a face full?
Catman

[Mike Leonard]

Never have, have seen a few quills in them, but just a couple, and not deep. I think they got them after the porky was dead nosing or moving it around.

I have caught several lions that were reeking of skunk scent however, and I had an old time lion hunter in Arizona one time tell me that I better think long and hard about hard breaking my lion hounds off skunk because so many times that scent is present with their own. He might of had a point but I think dog's scenting ability goes past that and I have seen dogs get sprayed by a skunk, and you wouldn't think they could smell a thing else, and a bit later they would go off and tree a coon.

[cecil j.]

Never have, have seen a few quills in them, but just a couple, and not deep. I think they got them after the porky was dead nosing or moving it around.

I have caught several lions that were reeking of skunk scent however, and I had an old time lion hunter in Arizona one time tell me that I better think long and hard about hard breaking my lion hounds off skunk because so many times that scent is present with their own. He might of had a point but I think dog's scenting ability goes past that and I have seen dogs get sprayed by a skunk, and you wouldn't think they could smell a thing else, and a bit later they would go off and tree a coon.

hey mike your right I had a walker a direct gd son of Naces old topper he was a top finished-out coondog and he was real good at worken-up bear on dry ground an rocks hunten.but I started runnen him on lions at 3 1/2 yrs of age and he bushed em successfully/however he started porkey and skunk foolen around with an didn`t befor I got him on about 5-6 lions. he was smart learned too circle and flip over a porkey and kill it and did the same on skunk/ didnt get but i or 2 quills in his nose and most ofthe times the skunk didn`t even get too spray him !? I beat him pretty hard with a skunk and had too stay camped in the woods a whole weekend away from my rigg and half necked with my clothing pounded on stream rocks and sand schrubben and then go home. I tied my dog out and he watched me and see I was pissed at him and he must of thought it over case it was his last skunk and he got one more porkey and he saw me comen with a good sized branch for him and he went under my hunten rigg/ well he desided porkeys wasent on the list any more ! Not for him and I bear and coon hunted him from 20 months of age and he hadent fooled with em ill I started worken him on lion . Big Bow was a combination coon and big game hound not a bobcat dog /no part of a bobcat dog !But I didn`t hear no one prove that lion who attacked the 10 yr old kid actually had rabbies/ just could have had rabbies. More easy pray humans are worked over by young female lions tryen too feed cubs and old lions crippled up and found human easer pray/ if its tasted a helpless person or is so hungry it has too eat something and so the oppurnity arizes of a woman or child / don`t ya agree too that theroy ? jack

[cecil j.]

Hey looks like I`d better man up/ didnt know I could click-on the newspapper web site from clicken on this treds page/ I just did and read it for my self ! It don`t make my other view wrong but in this intance it was wrong/ sorry .

jack