An 8-year-old was left with minor injuries after being attacked by a cougar while camping Saturday in Olympic National Park.
The cougar “casually abandoned its attack” after the child’s mother yelled and screamed at it, according to the National Park Service.
Park personnel responded and provided medical aid before escorting the family back to the Lake Angeles trailhead. The child was then taken to a hospital, NPS said.
NPS evacuated the remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area — which is in the Heart O’ the Hills area south of Port Angeles and near Hurricane Ridge — and closed access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas, the department said.
“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,” said Tom Kay, an Olympic National Park wildlife biologist.
Park law enforcement and wildlife personnel specializing in cougar tracking searched the area around the cougar’s last known location Sunday.
If the cougar is located, it will be euthanized and removed from the park for necropsy, which could provide clues as to why the animal attacked.
The entirety of Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory, though cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are “extraordinarily rare,” NPS said.
Euthanizing the cougar would be in line with Olympic National Park’s extensive protocols for wildlife observations, interactions and attacks, NPS said.
NPS recommends these steps for visitors to be prepared for an encounter:
- Do not hike or jog alone.
- Keep children within sight and close to adults.
- Leave pets at home.
- Be alert to your surroundings when hiking.
If you meet a cougar, do not run, as that 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. NPS also recommends throwing rocks or objects at the cougar.