Have you ever read the book, Mountain Lion Attack, detailing the evidence of attacks over the last 20 years ? I can assure you they were not only sick or injured. Mountain lion populations are on the increase, due to less hunting pressures, and their ranges are expanding. They no longer fear humans, as the new generations have lost the association with being hunted. THey don't fear you, they want to eat you !
1. This cougar attack was apparently in an area where these cats are hunted (though I don’t doubt that decrease in hunting and population encroachment makes them more dangerous)
2. The $64 question is whether this animal was rabid. If so, then this guy has more than cuts and scrapes to worry about. I don’t know if cougars are as prone to rabies as small carnivores like skunks and racoons (a real problem in my area).