The man who died after being attacked by a mountain lion in California has been named as Taylen Brooks.
Taylen’s brother, Wyatt Brooks, 18, was also injured but survived and is recovering, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
“These two young men, being as close as two brothers can be, lived an energetic life enjoying the outdoors,” a statement from the family said.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support and prayers from family, friends and the community,” the statement said, according to the Sacramento Bee. “We are all devastated by the tragic loss of Taylen, but we are grateful that Wyatt is still with us and we are aware that the outcome could have been even worse.”
The brothers were searching for detached antlers in a remote area of Georgetown, California, when they were attacked by the mountain lion, a protected species under California law.
It is the first fatal attack by a cougar in two decades.
The man who died after being attacked by a mountain lion has been named as Taylen Brooks
Brooks’ brother, 18-year-old Wyatt Brooks (right), was also attacked but survived and is recovering, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Wyatt called 911 on Saturday to say he and his brother were attacked, leaving him with “traumatic facial injuries,” according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
The teenager added that he had been separated from his brother during the assault.
First responders arrived at the scene about 20 minutes after the 911 call. They began treating the 18-year-old and launched a search for the 21-year-old.
“Shortly after the search began, they located a male down, and next to that individual was a mountain lion in a crouching position,” sheriff’s office spokesman Kyle Parker told KCRA 3.
Police said the cougar dragged Taylen’s lifeless body to another location while her brother searched for help.
The officers fired shots to scare the lion before discovering that the older man was already dead.
The animal was captured by rangers and trappers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He was euthanized near the scene of the attack, the sheriff’s office said.
“The cougar has been sent to the CDFW forensic laboratory for DNA information and the lion’s overall health,” the office wrote.
Cougar attacks are extremely rare and the last fatal encounter in the state occurred in 2004, according to CDFW records.
Since 1890, there have been fewer than 50 verified attacks on humans in California, only six of which have been fatal.
The last time a mountain lion killed someone in the El Dorado County area was in 1994, when the mutilated body of marathoner Barbara Schoener was found on isolated trails in the Auburn Lake area.
The men, who were brothers, were searching for dislodged antlers in a remote area of Georgetown, California, at the time of the attack. The cougar dragged the lifeless body of police officer Taylen to another location while his brother looked for help.
Wyatt called 911 on Saturday to say he and his brother were attacked, leaving him with “traumatic facial injuries.”
Cougar attacks are extremely rare and the last fatal encounter in the state occurred in 2004, according to CDFW records. (stock photo)
Schooner, 40, was attacked by a mountain lion that bit her neck and crushed her skull, according to the LA Times. The mountain lion dragged her partially eaten body about 300 feet and then buried her under leaves.
Wildlife experts told the publication that mountain lions hide their prayer and return when they are hungry.
What makes the attack even rarer is that the victims are alone in most cases.
“When you hear things like that, you get a little nervous,” local Daniel Lesher told KCRA 3.
‘I was surprised to hear that he was going after humans. It is not unusual for them to go after livestock.
Cougars are solitary animals that travel alone except during mating or breeding season, according to the National Park Service.
They are known as a keystone species, keeping prey populations in check and eliminating invasive species.
In cases where lions attack humans, most are injured, stressed or hungry, the NPS says.
“A hungry, stressed cougar with only one good eye, observing large numbers of slow and often inattentive bipeds on park trails, may attack one of us humans in hopes of an easy meal,” wrote the agency on its website.