We live in Cougar territory and when we venture out into the wilderness we are REALLY in cougar territory and while attacks are extremely rare, it's important to respect them and always be prepared on knowing what to do if you ever do encounter one.
This was the case recently in Olympic National Park when a mother was camping with her 8 year old when the cougar pounced on her child. According to the National Park Service, ""casually abandoned" the attack after the child's mother yelled at it"
"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.
Major props to park officials for swiftly responding and escorting the family back to the trailhead. Thankfully, the child escaped the incident with only minor scrapes and bruises but was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.
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.”
If you ever encounter a cougar, it's important to remember these things:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
