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Mountain Lion Attacks Hollywood Hills Dogwalker, Kills Chihuahua

A couple in Hollywood Hills is mourning the loss of their chihuahua after the little dog was attacked by a mountain lion. News reports state the mountain lion that likely attacked the little dog goes by the name P-22. P-22 is an 11-year-old feline that has frequented Griffith Park-Silver Lake-Hollywood area for a while.

KTLA reports that a dog walker, a man that wishes to remain anonymous, had been walking Piper, a nine-year-old chihuahua, and a second dog when the mountain lion attacked. The footage, which you can view below, shows what looks like a collared mountain lion emerging onto the streets of a residential area, following closely behind the dogwalker and the pair of canines. Suddenly, the big cat crouches down, moments before launching itself at Piper and taking her in its mouth.

Recalling the scary incident, the dogwalker said, “I felt the tug and I heard Piper squeal. I turn around and I just saw a face. I didn’t know what it was.”

Sadly, Deadline reports neither Piper nor the dogwalker had an opportunity to deter the attack. The man continued, “It was like a two or three second struggle. He had Piper in his mouth. He didn’t growl at all. I didn’t even hear him. I never had a chance.”

Piper’s Owner Encourages Other Pet Owners to be Aware of Mountain Lions and Other Wildlife

According to the news outlet, Piper’s owner, Daniel Jimenez, doesn’t hold any ill will toward the mountain lion. While he and his family are obviously upset over their loss, he advocated on the big cat’s behalf.

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to P-22,” the Hollywood Hills resident said. “I just want people to be safe out there so that nothing like this happens again.”

Though Jiminez didn’t express anger at the incident, it’s also likely that he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to P-22 as the furry beast has become a kind of wild animal celebrity. Though the feline typically sticks to the “high mountain country” surrounding Los Angeles’s Griffith Park, he’s been seen in the more densely populated region of Silver Lake, which is both a residential and commercial region.

Woman Becomes ‘Mesmerized’ by Curious Cougar

In another region of California, a woman had a different experience with a cougar when she came face to face with it in her backyard. However, instead of snatching her and her pooch up for lunch, the big cat, more or less, challenged her to a staring contest.

Recalling her experience with the mountain lion, Holly Hiner, a longtime resident of Laguna Lake Mobile Estates in San Luis Obispo County, said, “I felt like there was somebody else out there besides my dog. But my nieghbor’s cat is always following me around so I thought, ‘Oh, it’s probably just James.’”

That’s when she noticed the mountain lion watching her.

“I was mesmerized,” Hiner said. “I was in a trance.”

After recollecting herself, she began to make noise and wave her arms, scaring the feline off. However, it definitely made for a memorable experience.

(Photo by William F. Campbell/Getty Images)