Mom fights off mountain lion that  was attacking her 7-year-old son

A Canadian mother didn't hesitate to fight off a mountain lion that she found attacking her 7-year-old son in the family's yard in Lake Cowichan, British Columbia.

The boy's father, Kevin Bromley, told Global News that his wife, Chelsea Bromley, saved their son's life when she jumped on top of the wild cat that had pinned her son to the ground.

"She jumped on top of this thing, but it just wouldn't let go of Zack's forearm, so she then had to pry this cougar's jaw open," Kevin Bromley said. "She told me she couldn't do it for two or three seconds, but then she screamed 'help' and it just let go and ran off. And there was blood everywhere."

First responders airlifted the couple's son, Zack Bromley, to a hospital where he received treatment for the bite wounds and scratches on his arms and head.

Zack was later released and is expected to make a full recovery.

What are the details?

On Friday afternoon, Chelsea reportedly heard some commotion outside her home where Zack was playing. The Bromleys live in a gated community near a waterfront.

When Chelsea walked outside to investigate, she saw the young cat's jaws clamped down on Zack's arm.

She immediately jumped into action to save her child.

Chelsea fought the animal off and ended up with some minor bite marks on her hand.

Some reports claimed that two mountain lions had attacked Zack, but Kevin told Global News that one of the animals was seen nearby but not involved in the attack.

Did they find the mountain lions?

Conservation officers tracked and killed the two mountain lions, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reported.

Ben York, a British Columbia conservation inspector, told the Vancouver Courier that it wasn't clear what may have prompted the animals to maul the boy, adding that the cats appeared unhealthy and thin.

"The cougars were both very emaciated, very skinny and in very poor overall condition, very light for their size," York said.

A wildlife veterinarian plans to perform a necropsy on both mountain lions to help determine the age and reasons for their poor health.

Mountain lion sightings aren't unusual in B.C., according to the Globe and Mail.

Fifteen cougar attacks with injuries have occurred over the past five years, Vanessa Isnardy, provincial co-ordinator for WildSafeBC, told the news outlet.

However, she said black bears and grizzly bears are a greater threat to humans.

How is Zack doing?

Zack's parents said they are focused on taking care of him as he continues his recovery.

"We're just trying to focus on him and make sure this doesn't impact him mentally or traumatically," Kevin told Global News on Saturday.

"We took him out for a big dinner last night, and that made him happy," he added.