Girl, 8, Undergoes Facial Surgery After Puma Attack at Chapada dos Veadeiros

Overview

• The attack, reported Thursday at the Cordovil trail within the Santuário Volta da Serra in Goiás, occurred as the family walked back from a waterfall during a birthday outing.
• Her parents and a farm employee rushed in and used a backpack to drive off the puma, which fled into the forest, and staff took the child to the municipal hospital in Alto Paraíso.
• A helicopter transfer could not proceed because night flights are barred in Alto Paraíso and Formosa, so an ambulance carried her to Brasília for specialized care.
• Doctors in Brasília performed reparative plastic surgery on her face Friday and the Health Secretariat says she is stable with no discharge date yet.
• Visitor access is suspended while the site reviews protocols and authorities investigate, and biologists call the attack atypical for the usually reclusive puma, which signals the need for clearer guidance and training in preserved habitats.