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Cougar Attacks Youngster At Olympic National Park

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Published Date

July 30, 2023

A youngster was attacked by a cougar at Olympic National Park, prompting a closure of part of the park/NPS

A hunt was on Sunday morning in Olympic National Park for a cougar that attacked an eight-year-old camping at Lake Angeles, in the park's Heart O' the Hills area.

The cat stopped the attack Saturday evening and left the campsite after the youngster's mother yelled and screamed at it. The child sustained minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation. Other campers in the Lake Angeles area were moved out of the area, and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas was 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.”

At 5 a.m. Sunday, park law enforcement and wildlife personnel specializing in cougar tracking were dispatched to the cougar’s last known point at Lake Angeles. If the cougar was located, it was to be euthanized and taken for a necropsy in an effort to determine what prompted the attack. Cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are extraordinarily rare, a park release said.

Olympic National Park has extensive protocols in place for wildlife observations, interactions, and attacks and the lethal removal of this cougar is in line with these protocols.

The entirety of Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory and it is important for visitors to be prepared for an encounter. 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. If you meet a cougar, it is important to not run because it could trigger the cougar’s attack instinct. Instead, people should group together, appear as large as possible, keep eyes on the animal, make lots of noise and shout loudly. Throwing rocks or objects at the cougar is also recommended.

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