Nevadan injured by mountain lion

RENO -- Nevada wildlife officials and a houndsman with dogs searched Thursday for a young mountain lion that attacked a woman in the foothills of Virginia City southeast of Reno -- only the second such attack in the state on record.

The woman suffered minor injuries when she tried to break up a fight between the cat and her dog Wednesday night in her backyard just off of the mountain highway connecting Reno to the historic mining town, Storey County sheriff's officials said.

"They have not found the perpetrator, but they have a hot trail in the cold snow. These are perfect conditions to track it," said Nevada Wildlife Department spokesman Chris Healy on Thursday.

Numerous sightings of mountain lions are reported each year in Nevada, but the only other record of an attack was in April 1991 when a woman at the Nevada Test Site north of Las Vegas suffered minor injuries, Healy said.

"It is a rare thing indeed," he said.

That mountain lion was found and put to death.

This one's tracks indicate it's a younger cat, probably a yearling, Healy said.

Winds gusting up to 40 mph were hampering the search team, which might resume the hunt today, depending on the weather, he said.

"Even if they don't catch it, it seems to have headed out of any populated area and up into the hills," Healy said.

Storey County deputies responded to the incident Wednesday night. The woman, whose name was not released, was treated at the scene by county medical personnel. The dog also suffered minor injuries that required treatment from a veterinarian.