Four-year-old girl is snatched from Idaho campsite by a MOUNTAIN LION and rescued by her family

  • Camping trip began innocently enough near Green Canyon Hot Springs
  • As the family ate dinner, the mother noticed a strange sight - a mountain lion strolling nearby
  • Thinking nothing of it, the family continued with their trip, only to be shocked moments later when they heard a harrowing scream
  • The four-year-old girl was in the clutches of the same mountain lion
  • The mother immediately gave chase, prompting the cat to release and flee
  • Luckily, the girl escaped with just a few scratches and bite marks
  • 'She'll be fine', Jim Sevy, the girl's grandfather, says 

By Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:59 EST, 13 August 2016 | Updated: 02:02 EST, 14 August 2016

A four-year-old girl is recovering from what could have been a tragedy on Friday night when she was momentarily snatched up by a mountain lion during a camping trip with her family in Idaho.

The incident occurred near Green Canyon Hot Springs, which lies just east of the town of Rexburg.

The girl was with her mother, siblings, and cousins as they were eating dinner when they saw a mountain lion nearby. The lion ran off and no one gave it a second thought.

Shortly afterward, the mother put the four-year-old girl into a tent for a nap and then took her six-year-old sibling into the woods to go to the bathroom.

The incident occurred near Green Canyon Hot Springs, which lies just east of the town of Rexburg, Idaho. State officials say mountain lion sightings are rare

The incident occurred near Green Canyon Hot Springs, which lies just east of the town of Rexburg, Idaho. State officials say mountain lion sightings are rare

As the mother accompanied her child to the woods, the family was startled to hear the four-year-old scream.

'She got out of the tent because she couldn't find her shoe', the girl's grandfather, Jim Sevy, told East Idaho News. 'That's when the mountain lion grabbed her and started carrying her away'.

At this point, the mother went after the cougar, which released the girl and ran away.

The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. She suffered scratches and bite marks on her arm and stomach.

'She is getting rabies shots and injections in her puncture wounds', Sevy told East Idaho News. 'She should be okay'.

'Her great-grandpa gave her a priesthood blessing and told her she will have stories to tell', he said.

Idaho authorities used hound dogs to track down the cat after midnight on Friday. The cougar was then promptly euthanized.

'When lions do attack, records indicate that small children are often the targets', said Gregg Losinski, a representative of the Idaho Fish and Game Department

'When lions do attack, records indicate that small children are often the targets', said Gregg Losinski, a representative of the Idaho Fish and Game Department

A park official interviewed by the East Idaho News said that it was rare to spot a cougar, let alone experience an attack by one.

'When lions do attack, records indicate that small children are often the targets', said Gregg Losinski, a representative of the Idaho Fish and Game Department. 'This family showed how vigilance and quick thinking can help avert a tragedy'.

Sevy knows just how close his family came to a horrific outcome.

'It could have gone the other way so easily', he said. 'She could have been gone and we would have never seen her. You really have to keep your eyes open when you're out camping'. 

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