Two horses attacked by a mountain lion in California
Two horses in southern California have been attacked by a mountain lion in under a week.
On Friday (27 February) a Arabian yearling called Madam was found with cuts to her head, body and leg. The filly was grazing in a field in La Cresta, west of Murrieta with her dam when she was attacked.
Earlier last week a 24-year-old quarter horse called Skippy was attacked in Cherry Valley.
Skippy needed 16 stitches in her head after she was attacked over night on Monday 23 February.
Wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan from the state Department of Fish and Game confirmed that the injures in both horses were caused by a mountain lion.
He told local papers that he had never seen two attacks in one week and that mountain lions rarely attack horses, although they are known to attack sheep, goats and dogs.
Both owners have been given permission to shoot the mountain lion under a law that allows people to hunt the animal if it has harmed their property.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.