Mauling Victim Recalls Lion Attack

May 20, 2004 -- Though she was mauled by a mountain lion while riding in a California wilderness park just a few months ago, Anne Hjelle is recovering and back on her bike — and says she'll never give it up.

"I have been riding," Hjelle told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America in an exclusive interview today. "I love mountain biking, and I wouldn't give it up."

Hjelle, 30, was attacked by a mountain lion on Jan. 8 while bike-riding in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County, Calif. Horrified witnesses said the lion grabbed Hjelle by her shoulders and dragged her by the back of her neck until her friend Debi Nichols grabbed the woman by the legs and engaged in a tug-of-war with the feline. Other riders then threw rocks at the lion until it released Hjelle.

"[The lion] grabbed onto the back of my neck and clamped down on the left side of my face," Hjelle said. "As he closed down, he basically tore away my cheek. When he got me by the front of my throat, that is when I passed out."

The Worst Has Passed

Doctors later told Hjelle the lion came within millimeters of puncturing an artery and that the attack could have been fatal.

Hjelle's injuries were horrific; she said her husband passed out when he first saw her in the hospital after the attack. But she realized that she was lucky to survive the attack and said she knew her wounds would heal.

"As soon as I took the bandages off, I asked for a mirror," Hjelle said. "When I saw what I looked like, I asked to see the pre-surgery photographs I knew they had taken. For me, I knew this was the worst it was going to be, and [it] will continue to be better."

Slim Chances of Another Attack

Hjelle said she has undergone one surgery for her wounds. Her doctors say she will have to undergo between three and five more procedures over the next five years.

She has heard about other mountain lion sightings since her attack. But she is determined to continue enjoying one of her passions — mountain biking — and is confident that more people are aware of their presence.