A cougar attacked an 8-year-old child camping in Olympic National Park on Saturday, park officials said.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., a cougar attacked a child camping with family at Lake Angeles in Olympic National Park. After being screamed at by the child’s mother, the cougar “casually abandoned” the attack, leaving the child with minor injuries, a release from the National Park Service (NPS) stated. Though the injuries the child sustained were non-life-threatening, officials transported the child to a local hospital for further evaluation and evacuated the campsite, the release said. (RELATED: 9-Year-Old Girl Survives Fight With Cougar In Washington)
A cougar “casually abandoned” the attack after the child’s mother yelled at it, according to the National Park Service. https://t.co/v2i76BoiJK
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“Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity. 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,” Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist, Tom Kay, said.
Officials tracked the cougar the following day from its last known location near the lake. If found, wildlife personnel and law enforcement authorities with the park service will euthanize the animal and perform a necropsy in an effort to determine what prompted the cougar as attacks on humans are “extraordinarily rare,” according to the NPS.
“That almost never happens, and it’s a sign of very, very unusual behavior,” Amos Almy, acting public information officer for Olympic National Park, told King 5 News.
“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,” Almy continued.
As the whole of Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory, officials warn that visitors should be prepared for encounters with the animals while visiting the park. “It is recommended that visitors not hike or jog alone, and to keep children within sight and close to adults. Leave pets at home and be alert to your surroundings when hiking,” officials say.
Park officials advise visitors to group in the event of a cougar sighting and make lots of noise while keeping an eye on the animal to discourage an attack. Throwing rocks and objects at the cougar is also recommended to keep the animal at bay, officials say.