November 18 Update: 

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is wrapping up an investigation into an encounter between a 14-year-old girl and a mountain lion that happened the morning of Thursday, November 10 in the Virginia Foothills of South Reno.

The girl was walking her dog, a Great Pyrenees, on Terry Way a short distance from her home, when she noticed a small mountain lion stalking her.

NDOW game wardens say the girl followed all the proper steps to deter the mountain lion, including facing it, throwing rocks and yelling.

However, after she was somehow knocked to the ground, potentially as a result of her dog being spooked, the mountain lion pounced on the girl.

The animal immediately released her and ran away. Aside from a minor puncture on the girl’s leg from what appears to be the mountain lion’s dewclaw (the thumb), the girl and her dog are both safe.

Game wardens arrived on scene promptly and determined the mountain lion was a public safety threat due to its dangerous behavior and its lack of fear of a human yelling and the presence of a dog.

“This is extremely strange behavior from a mountain lion. Usually these are very elusive animals, and it’s rare to see a mountain lion, let alone be approached by one,” said Nevada Department of Wildlife Public Information Officer Ashley Sanchez. “We suspect the mountain lion, which was emaciated, either attacked out of desperation for food, or this was practice hunting behavior for the animal based on its small size and the fact that it immediately ran away.”

Game wardens contacted the USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Services, a separate federal agency, which located and euthanized the mountain lion after confirming it was the animal involved in the attack.

NDOW has since received calls of additional mountain lion activity in the Virginia Foothills that game wardens are currently investigating. The area is full of juniper trees and brush, which is common mountain lion habitat.  

Original Story From November 17, 2022:

NDOW says a mountain lion was euthanized after it attacked a 14-year-old girl walking her dog in South Reno last Thursday. 

The Nevada Dept. of Wildlife says the incident happened on Terry Way in the Virginia Foothills. 

"We don’t know details as far as why it attacked, how, if it went after the dog first, or how she fought it off. Both, the girl, and the dog are safe, but the girl did have minor punctures on her leg," NDOW says in a statement to 2 News. 

NDOW clarifies that those minor puncture wounds appear to be scratch marks, not bites. 

NDOW says its game wardens "immediately responded" when they received around 10 a.m. and notified USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Services to track down the lion. NDOW says Wildlife Services euthanized it since it was a public safety issue.

"Since then, we have received some additional reports of mountain lion sightings in the Virginia Foothills."

NDOW says mountain lion attacks are extremely rare, but they advise people in the area to follow these tips as a safety precaution:

* Remove anything that might attract deer or other prey animals. It can include birdseed, pet food, trash or compost, water features, fallen fruit, excess shrubs, woodpiles, decks or other structures that can provide cover or a place to den.

* Make efforts to discourage deer from being present in your yard – deer are one of the top food sources for mountain lions, so if they are in your yard, a lion could be too.

* Install devices to scare away the lions like motion-activated lights and/or sprinklers 

* Closely supervise children whenever they play outdoors. Make sure children are inside before dusk and not outside before dawn. Talk with your children about lions and teach them what to do if they encounter one.

* View the Living with Mountain Lion page for more resources and safety tips for your pets and family. 

(Nevada Department of Wildlife contributed to this report.)