PORT ANGELES, Wash. — An 8-year-old suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a cougar while camping at Lake Angeles in the Olympic National Park on Saturday.
The cougar "casually abandoned" the attack after the child's mother yelled at it, according to the National Park Service.
"Luckily, the mom responded perfectly and quickly and started yelling and screaming at this cougar. It let the kid go and walked away," said Amos Almy, acting public information officer for Olympic National Park.
Park personnel responded and escorted the child and their family back to the trailhead. The child was then taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. It was confirmed the child only had minor injuries.
"Minor abrasions, scrapes, punctures, stuff like that," said Almy. "I think they realized that it was a pretty scary incident... we're so happy that it was not a huge incident, and that the kid is safe."
All remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area have been evacuated and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas are closed to the public until further notice.
“Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity,” said Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice.”
Almy said those areas will remain closed until the cougar is found or they're certain the cougar has moved to another area of the park.
Law enforcement and wildlife personnel specializing in cougar tracking were dispatched to the cougar's last known location Sunday morning. The search for the cougar continued on Monday. If the cougar is located it will be euthanized and removed for necropsy, according to the National Park Service.
Almy said people should keep in mind that cougar sightings are extremely rare, and cougar attacks even rarer.
"That almost never happens, and it's a sign of very, very unusual behavior," Almy said. "And when you have an animal like that behaving so unusually, you have to kind of take extreme measures and for this, unfortunately, it will be euthanization if that cougar is found. It's also important to remember, we're park rangers, we're wildlife biologists, we don't enjoy killing wildlife. That is not why we signed on to this job. But in circumstances like this, it is warranted."
The Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory. The National Park Service recommends visitors do not hike or jog alone and to keep children within sight and close to adults.
Those now visiting Olympic National Park are taking extra precautions should they run into a cougar.
"We are going to get some bear mace or bear spray," said Jo Zinzi who is visiting from Florida. "From Florida, we swim in the oceans but we don't know anything about animal attacks on land."
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
Fish and Wildlife said it has seen an increase in cougar reports. "Oftentimes that video can go hand in hand with having doorbell cameras, with having car cameras included. People also have cellphones wherever they go and can take video."
Those numbers don't transfer to cougar attacks. In Washington state, there have only been 22 cougar attacks on humans in the last 100 years. Two people have been killed.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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