A mountain lion has killed one man and left another with “traumatic injuries” to his face, authorities in the US state of California have said.

The two brothers were hunting for shed antlers when they were attacked by the mountain lion in Georgetown, a remote part of El Dorado County.

The younger brother, 18, called the county sheriff’s office on Saturday afternoon to report he and his 21-year-old brother were attacked by the lion.

Deputies arrived around 1.30pm to find the younger man with facial injuries.

Image:
The scene near where the mountain lion attacked two brothers

About 15 minutes later, they found the mountain lion crouched over the body of the older brother.

The animal was scared off when deputies fired their guns and is now on the run, being searched for by wardens.

Mountain lions have attacked humans previously, but the last fatal encounter was in 2004 in Orange County, according to the fish and wildlife department.