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(CNN) - A 6-year-old girl is recovering from minor injuries after an alleged mountain lion attacked her in a California park. Wildlife officials are now looking for the animal.
The attack occurred on Sunday morning, when a group that included the victim, his parents and several other adults and young children walked along a path in the Rancho San Antonio County Park in Santa Clara County, California.
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One of the adults hit the mountain lion on the ribs, which was believed to weigh around 72.5 kilos, said KGO, a CNN affiliate. The rest of the group made loud noises and scared him.
A park ranger quickly provided the girl with first aid, according to a press release from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space.
Near the parking lot
The attack occurred about 3.2 kilometers from the main parking lot, park officials said. "Seeing a mountain lion is rare and an encounter like this is very unusual," says the press release.
"Mountain lions live throughout the Santa Cruz mountain region and, in general, are not a threat to people," he adds.
Since 1986, 17 people have been attacked in the state, said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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The park is closed while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife searches for the animal. When located, the wildlife department will determine what to do next.
Park officials said that if you see a mountain lion you should keep calm, make noise and walk away slowly. And most importantly, do not turn your back or run.
The first mountain lion of California was killed last month, under the new state predation law.
The California Department of Fisheries and Wildlife implemented a “three attacks” policy in 2017 that allowed owners to kill mountain lions that had killed or injured cattle or pets.