A wild video from La Verne captured the intense moments when a dog bravely faced a nearly minute-long mountain lion attack last weekend.
The dramatic incident unfolded just before 9 p.m. on Saturday when Holly, a three-year-old giant schnauzer, was let outside by her owners.
Without warning, a mountain lion leaped on Holly, engaging in a tense 48-second struggle.
Luckily, vigilant neighbors witnessed the attack and rushed outside, shouting to scare off the mountain lion. Their quick actions allowed Holly to escape from the predator’s grasp.
The mountain lion was later spotted returning to the area approximately 20 minutes later, likely searching for its lost prey.
Despite sustaining a neck wound, Holly is now safe and recovering at home, according to concerned neighbors.
While Holly’s owners declined to speak on camera due to the shock of the event, residents in the vicinity are circulating the video as a cautionary tale for fellow Southern Californians with pets or children.
“It’s scary because I have this tiny little dog, a tiny teacup yorkie, and we don’t let her out, especially at night,”
shared Monique Olmedo, a local resident.
A similar incident occurred just 40 miles away in Lake Elsinore, where another mountain lion was caught on camera prowling around at 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Valerie Chapman, who captured the feline’s evening stroll on camera, described the sighting as both thrilling and a tad unsettling.
“We have bunnies by the hundreds out here. But we’ve never seen a mountain lion, especially this close to our house,”
Chapman remarked.
With an estimated population of over 4,500 mountain lions in California, wildlife officials caution that these majestic predators may venture into residential areas in search of food, particularly if their natural habitats lack sufficient resources.