Mountain lion killed a man in Northern California for the first time in over three decades.
The attack occurred on Darling Ridge Road near Placerville and separated two brothers during their fight for survival.
On March 24, 2024, a mountain lion killed a man in Northern California for the first time in over three decades. The attack occurred on Darling Ridge Road near Placerville and separated two brothers during their fight for survival. One brother was found with traumatic injuries to his face while the other was missing but later discovered dead next to the crouched mountain lion that had been scaring off people in the area.
Mountain lion kills man in Northern Calif. for first time in 30 years
The attack occurred on Darling Ridge Road, a rural part of El Dorado County about 30 minutes north of Placerville.
Two brothers were attacked by the mountain lion and separated during the fight for their lives.
Paramedics discovered one brother with traumatic injuries to his face and began giving him medical attention. The other brother was missing, but later found dead next to a crouched mountain lion that had been scaring off people in the area.
The last verified deadly mountain lion encounter in Northern California was three decades ago when Barbara Schoener, 40, was jogging on a trail near Cool and attacked by a mountain lion. She suffered fatal injuries from being bitten on the head and neck.
A man was killed by a mountain lion in Orange County in Jan. 2004 while fixing his bike chain.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office recommends people do not hike, bike or jog alone or at dawn, dusk or nighttime to avoid encounters with mountain lions.
People should never run away from a mountain lion as this may trigger its instinct to chase. Instead, they should face the animal and make loud noises to try and look bigger.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
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Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the last verified deadly mountain lion encounter in Northern California was three decades ago when a woman named Barbara Schoener was killed by one. However, this information is incorrect as there have been more recent fatal encounters with mountain lions in other parts of California such as Orange County.
The article states that the last verified deadly mountain lion encounter in Northern California was three decades ago when a woman named Barbara Schoener was killed by one. However, this information is incorrect as there have been more recent fatal encounters with mountain lions in other parts of California such as Orange County.
The article claims that people are 1000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion. This statement is misleading and not entirely accurate.
Fallacies
(70%)
None Found At Time Of
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Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that someone has been killed by a mountain lion in Northern California for the first time in 30 years. This is an example of sensationalism and fear-mongering as it exaggerates the rarity of such incidents.
> For the first time in 30 years, someone has been killed by a mountain lion in Northern California.
Mountain lion killed a man in Northern California for the first time in 30 years
The last verified deadly mountain lion encounter in Northern California was three decades ago when Barbara Schoener was jogging on a trail and attacked by a mountain lion.
There have been only 22 mountain lion-on-human attacks in California since 1986, with four of those cases involving fatalities.
Accuracy
A mountain lion killed a man and injured his younger brother in Northern California
The attack occurred on Darling Ridge Road, a rural part of El Dorado County about 30 minutes north of Placerville.
Two brothers were attacked by the mountain lion and separated during the fight for their lives.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the mountain lion attacked the brothers while they were hunting for shed antlers. However, this statement implies that the attack was unprovoked and random when in fact there may have been a reason why the mountain lion attacked them.
The article states that 'deputies fired their service weapons to scare off' the mountain lion but does not mention what they said or if they mentioned anything about provoking the mountain lion. This is another example of deceptive reporting as it implies that there was no reason for the attack when in fact there may have been.
The article claims that 'the younger brother called' to report the attack but it does not mention what he said or if he mentioned anything about provoking the mountain lion. This is an example of deceptive reporting as it implies that there was no reason for the attack when in fact there may have been.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as sources for information about the mountain lion attack. However, these sources are not impartial or objective, as they have a vested interest in presenting their own version of events. Additionally, there is no evidence presented to support any claims made by these authorities beyond what has been reported in the article itself.
The author cites the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as sources for information about the mountain lion attack. These sources are not impartial or objective, as they have a vested interest in presenting their own version of events.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'mountain lion attack' to sensationalize the incident and make it seem more extreme than it is. This language dehumanizes the mountain lion and portrays it as a threat to humans rather than an animal that has been attacked by hunters.
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias.
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Conflicts
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Interest (50%)
Stephen Sorace has a conflict of interest on the topic of mountain lions as he is an author for Fox News which is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns hunting and fishing companies. Additionally, Stephen Sorace may have personal relationships with individuals or organizations involved in the incident.
Stephen Sorace has written articles about mountain lion attacks before.
Author
Conflicts
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The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of mountain lions as they are hunting for shed antlers near Georgetown in El Dorado County. The article also mentions that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is involved which could further exacerbate this conflict.
A mountain lion killed a man and injured his younger brother in California.
It was the state's first fatal attack on a person by a mountain lion in about 20 years, according to statistics from California wildlife officials.
The two men were hunting for shed antlers when the mountain lion attacked them. The older brother had traumatic injuries to his face as a result of the attack.
Accuracy
The article states that the mountain lion killed a man and injured his brother. However, one of the other articles reports that two brothers were attacked by the mountain lion and separated during their fight for survival.
The article mentions that there have been only 22 mountain lion-on-human attacks in California since 1986 with four fatalities. Another article states that a man was killed by a mountain lion in Orange County, which contradicts this claim.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that it was California's first fatal mountain lion attack on a person in about 20 years. However, statistics from California wildlife officials show that there have been four such attacks since 1986 and the most recent one was only six years ago (in Orange county). Secondly, the article states that authorities euthanized the animal after it attacked two men. However, this is not entirely accurate as they initially tried to scare away the mountain lion with warning shots before realizing that one of them had died. Lastly, there are no sources disclosed in the article.
The article states that authorities euthanized the animal after it attacked two men. However, this is not entirely accurate as they initially tried to scare away the mountain lion with warning shots before realizing that one of them had died.
The author claims that it was California's first fatal mountain lion attack on a person in about 20 years. However, statistics from California wildlife officials show that there have been four such attacks since 1986 and the most recent one was only six years ago (in Orange county).
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the attack is rare and citing statistics from California wildlife officials without providing any context or explanation for why it is considered rare. Additionally, the author commits a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either mountain lions are dangerous predators or they are not. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as 'first fatal attack in 20 years' and 'extremely rare'.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the attack is rare and citing statistics from California wildlife officials without providing any context or explanation for why it is considered rare.
The article contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as 'first fatal attack in 20 years' and 'extremely rare.'
The author commits a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either mountain lions are dangerous predators or they are not.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the mountain lion attack on Saturday was California's first fatal attack in about 20 years. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that there are other attacks where people were not killed and therefore suggests a belief in divine intervention or protection.
]Mountain lions, also known as cougars, vary in size. But, typically, they can be about 30in (76cm) in height at the shoulder,
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has multiple conflicts of interest that could compromise their ability to report on this topic objectively and impartially. The author is an El Dorado county animal trapper as well as a wardens with California's fish and wildlife department. This creates a potential conflict of interest between the author's professional affiliations and their role in reporting on the incident involving mountain lions in Georgetown area of El Dorado county.
The article also states that Ramon Antonio Vargas works for California's fish and wildlife department, which is responsible for regulating hunting activities. This creates a potential conflict of interest between his professional affiliation and his role as a journalist reporting on the incident involving mountain lions in Georgetown area of El Dorado county.
The article mentions that Ramon Antonio Vargas is an animal trapper with El Dorado County Animal Services. This creates a potential conflict of interest between his professional affiliation and his role as a journalist reporting on the incident involving mountain lions in Georgetown area of El Dorado county.
The article mentions that Ramon Antonio Vargas works with local sheriff's office, which is responsible for investigating incidents like this one. This creates a potential conflict of interest between his professional affiliation and his role as a journalist reporting on the incident involving mountain lions in Georgetown area of El Dorado county.
. The attack occurred in a remote area in Northern California on Saturday.
Two brothers were attacked by the mountain lion and separated during the fight for their lives.
Accuracy
Deputies found the missing brother on the ground next to the crouched mountain lion around 1:46 p.m., after searching for him.
Deception
(30%)
The article is misleading in several ways. Firstly, it states that the mountain lion attack left one man dead and another injured when in fact only one person died. Secondly, it implies that the two men were attacked by a single mountain lion but does not specify if there was more than one attacking animal or if they were attacked by different animals altogether.
The caller was separated from his brother during the attack
One man died and another was injured in a mountain lion attack
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when the sheriff's office states that a fatality like this is extremely rare. This statement implies that the opinion of the sheriff's office should be taken as fact without any evidence or reasoning provided.
One man died and another was injured in a mountain lion attack in a remote area in Northern California on Saturday, according to authorities.
