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Cupertino Trail Remains Closed After Mountain Lion Killed

The trail where a 6-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion remained closed on Thursday, a day after a federal tracker killed the animal as it perched in a tree.

Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Kirsten Macintyre told NBC Bay Area she expects the Picchetti Ranch Zinfandel Trail in Cupertino to stay closed "for at least a few more days."

"Although we believe we got the cat we were looking for, until the DNA tests prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, it would be premature to pack everything out and reopen the trail to the public," she said.

A tracker  with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services spotted the male lion in question about 10:30 a.m., and killed him with a rifle in the name of public safety. The large cat was found 130 yards from where he had jumped out and bit a boy on Sunday afternoon while he was out walking with his family and family friends.

The boy's father screamed at the mountain lion, who eventually let the boy go. The family raced to the car and got the boy to Valley Medical Center, where he was released Monday. The boy has not been publicly identified and his family have denied interview requests.

Macintyre said that the lab results on whether the mountain lion had rabies won't be released until Friday at the earliest. That test, she said, is a priority, because if it is comes back negative, the boy can stop taking anti-rabies shots.

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