msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 2/7/2012 6:26:52 AM ET 2012-02-07T11:26:52

Officials at Big Bend National Park in West Texas were looking for a mountain lion that attacked and injured a 6-year-old boy as he walked with three other people.

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The victim was treated for puncture wounds and scratches and released from a hospital in Alpine, park spokesman David Elkowitz said.

Authorities were using a dog team and ranger patrols to hunt the lion but it remained on the loose late on Monday, according to the San Angelo Standard-Times.

Rangers began evacuating trails and campsites early Monday. Closed areas include the Chisos Basin, Window Trail, the Pinnacles, Boulder Meadow and Juniper Flats.

Elkowitz said the boy was walking near the park's lodge on Sunday evening when he was attacked by a "young lion in very poor condition." The victim's name wasn't released.

The animal that attacked the boy will be killed if it is found, the park spokesman added.

In December, a mountain lion was killed and shot by officers in Los Alamos, New Mexico, after it attacked and killed a family dog.

The Associated Press and msnbc.com contributed to this report.

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