California Lion Attack
A preliminary
As many of you know by now, the fatal lion attack in El Dorado County, California, involved my brother Aaron’s boys, Taylen and Wyatt Brooks. The general details have been stated in media outlets around the world, so I won’t go into them here except to note that I will be writing more comprehensively on this event and lion management policy more broadly in the near future.
For now, I simply want to acknowledge on this particular platform that Wyatt is doing far better than anyone could have predicted. He sustained significant injury to his face and neck, but an absolute miracle worker of a surgeon worked through the night on him. The good news in this whole surreal ordeal: he won’t suffer significant cosmetic or physical damage going forward, and we’re beyond grateful.
In the initial encounter, Wyatt was attacked first, and Taylen sacrificed himself to get the animal away from his brother. Taylen’s a hero, and will always be remembered as such. They were out in the woods, doing what they loved, by the seasons and cycles—in this case, looking for dropped antlers in the early spring. They’d found a mountain of them over the years.
In other seasons they fished for trout and bass and catfish, and hunted doves and turkeys, ducks and deer. Eating everything they bagged. Living what Teddy Roosevelt called The Strenuous Life.
I don’t really know what exactly Wyatt might be grappling with right now, but I do know he’s not defeated. California’s spring turkey opener landed exactly one week after the attack, and he got back into the woods with a couple of buddies. Not to hunt himself—no way he could fire a shotgun, given his injuries—but to support his friends with his calling ability (for anyone not familiar, spring gobblers are brought in by mimicking the sounds of the birds themselves).
Possibly more incredibly, he went out again this morning with my brother, who taught him to call birds in the first place. True to form, Wyatt took a big spring tom—with his bow. We can’t bring Taylen back, but the people closest to the loss are doing what Taylen would want. Getting back to the business of living, by doing what they love.
Here are some other pictures of the boys, over the years, mostly tailored to the season. Doing what they love.
“A brother is a gift, given by nature.”
Love to all.
*Update 4/7/2024: This is the fundraising site established by the El Dorado County Community Foundation, to help the family with medical and memorial costs—
Also, a Spaghetti-feed Fundraiser sponsored by the Placerville Elks’ Lodge is happening April 27th—
Malcom coming from a Dad that lost his son and hunting buddy at 20 this was a gut punch reading this.You summed up alot of the same emotions i had when I went hunting for first time without my son Craig.People say it too lightly but i mean it when I say I will be praying for your family.Have always enjoyed your writing and this puts a more personal connection having experienced a loss so bad you can't put in words.Bless you all.
Although we don’t personally know the boys or your family, we are very sorry for your loss and will continue to keep all of your family in our prayers. The good ole boys out doing what they love minding their own business and to have had this tragic event happen is horrible. DFW needs to get these lions under control. Did I read somewhere about a fundraiser?