Abstract
Introduction
Information regarding mountain lion attacks on humans has become more prevalent in the mainstream media. It remains unclear if there has been an increase in the number of attacks, or an increase in the prevalence of reports. Furthermore, the epidemiology of human-mountain lion encounters is not documented in the medical literature.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to examine the epidemiology of documented mountain lion attacks on humans from 1950 to May 2009.
Methods
This is a retrospective case series using data of confirmed mountain lion attacks on humans during the study time period. Data were gathered from publicly available resources including government agencies, newspaper reports, and other published accounts. Data related to the prevalence of cases, human and animal demographics, nature of human-animal interaction, outcome of interaction, and outdoor activities during interaction were collected. Descriptive statistics are reported, and differences in categorical proportions are analyzed using a Chi-square distribution.
Results
Reports of 141 attacks and 15 fatalities were found during the study time period. The number of reported attacks has gradually increased with a peak in 1990. Attacks on children were not more likely to be fatal when compared to adults. Attacks were more likely to be fatal if the attack occurred during the winter (p = 0.007) or if the attacking lion was > 36 months in age (p = 0.006). The attacking mountain lions were not more likely to be male. The nature of the preattack reaction was associated with a fatal outcome (p = 0.029), whereas the post-attack reaction was not (p = 0.815).
Conclusion
The number of reported mountain lion attacks and fatalities has increased since 1950 with a plateau in 1990. Attacks by older lions are more likely to be fatal, especially during the winter months. These data will help provide a basis for understanding risks and outcomes during mountain lion encounters.