Mountain lion victim undergoes surgery at UCLA

Garrison Hillia

LOS ANGELES – A 27-year-old Santa Monica woman lost
her right eye in an attack by a mountain lion and underwent
hours of reconstructive surgery to her face at UCLA Medical
Center, authorities said.

Shannon Parker also suffered deep wounds to her right thigh,
officials with the California Department of Fish and Game
said Sunday.

Parker's family has asked UCLA not to release any
information on her condition, said Rachel Shampeau, hospital
spokeswoman.

Parker was attacked Saturday after going on a hike with her
boyfriend, Mathias Maciejewski, 28, of Los Angeles, and two
other male friends. She was walking alone to her car about 7
p.m. near Johnsondale, about 15 to 20 miles north of
Kernville, when the female lion attacked her, said Steve
Martarano, a spokesman for the fish and game department.

Her friends rallied to Parker after hearing her screams.
Maciejewski stabbed the lion with a knife and Jason
Quirino, 30, of Los Angeles, and Ben Aaron Marsh, 15, of
Los Angeles, threw rocks at the animal until it ran off,
Martarano said Sunday.

The lion, which weighed about 70 pounds, left a bloody trail
as it fled and was later shot and killed by U.S. Forest
Service officers and Fish and Game wardens, Martarano said.

Officials will do a necropsy Monday to determine if the
animal had rabies and to find out whether the animal was
otherwise sick or injured, Martarano said. Officials could
have results as early as Tuesday, he said.

A 2002 wildfire in the area could have hampered the lion's
ability to find enough food, he said.

"The lion appeared to be emaciated," Martarano said.
"Before the fire, (the area) was considered moderate to
good mountain lion and deer habitat. The fire changed
everything" he said, but added that the area had recently
started to revive.

Martarano said the incident was the 15th mountain lion
attack on a human in California since 1890.

In January, a mountain lion mauled two people in separate
attacks at an Orange County wilderness park. Bike rider Mark
Reynolds, 35, was killed and Anne Hjelle, 30, was rescued by
her cycling partner, who held onto her legs, and other
mountain bikers who threw rocks at it. Hjelle was
hospitalized for weeks and likely will require several
surgeries in the years ahead.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/...040628-0008-ca-
lionattack.html

Garyg

"Garrison Hilliard" <garrison@efn.org> wrote in message
news:d01cae46.0406280810.6ebabc69@posting.google.com...
> LOS ANGELES – A 27-year-old Santa Monica woman lost
> her right eye in an attack by a mountain lion and
> underwent hours of reconstructive surgery to her face at
> UCLA Medical Center, authorities said.
>
> Shannon Parker also suffered deep wounds to her right
> thigh, officials with the California Department of Fish
> and Game said Sunday.
>
> Parker's family has asked UCLA not to release any
> information on her condition, said Rachel Shampeau,
> hospital spokeswoman.
>
> Parker was attacked Saturday after going on a hike with
> her boyfriend, Mathias Maciejewski, 28, of Los Angeles,
> and two other male friends. She was walking alone to her
> car about 7 p.m. near Johnsondale, about 15 to 20 miles
> north of Kernville, when the female lion attacked her,
> said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the fish and game
> department.
>
> Her friends rallied to Parker after hearing her screams.
> Maciejewski stabbed the lion with a knife and Jason
> Quirino, 30, of Los Angeles, and Ben Aaron Marsh, 15, of
> Los Angeles, threw rocks at the animal until it ran off,
> Martarano said Sunday.
>
> The lion, which weighed about 70 pounds, left a bloody
> trail as it fled and was later shot and killed by U.S.
> Forest Service officers and Fish and Game wardens,
> Martarano said.
>
> Officials will do a necropsy Monday to determine if the
> animal had rabies and to find out whether the animal was
> otherwise sick or injured, Martarano said. Officials could
> have results as early as Tuesday, he said.
>
> A 2002 wildfire in the area could have hampered the lion's
> ability to find enough food, he said.
>
> "The lion appeared to be emaciated," Martarano said.
> "Before the fire, (the area) was considered moderate to
> good mountain lion and deer habitat. The fire changed
> everything" he said, but added that the area had recently
> started to revive.
>
> Martarano said the incident was the 15th mountain lion
> attack on a human in California since 1890.
>
> In January, a mountain lion mauled two people in separate
> attacks at an Orange County wilderness park. Bike rider
> Mark Reynolds, 35, was killed and Anne Hjelle, 30, was
> rescued by her cycling partner, who held onto her legs,
> and other mountain bikers who threw rocks at it. Hjelle
> was hospitalized for weeks and likely will require several
> surgeries in the years ahead.
>
> http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/...040628-0008-ca-
> lionattack.html

The lion was known locally as "Mike", and was thought to be
"working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat")."