
Cougar attacks child in Olympic National Park
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Child, 4, attacked by cougar near Hurricane Ridge
A cougar mauled a 4-year-old child walking with their family at Olympic National Park. The child was taken to a Seattle hospital via air ambulance, the National Park Service said. Rangers found the cougar shortly after the incident when a canine team joined the search. Rangers killed the animal Monday morning, but the incident is still under investigation.
Around 3:15 p.m. Sunday, rangers responded to the attack at the Victoria Overlook area on the road to Hurricane Ridge, one of the most popular spots in the park for families to stop and soak in the views of Vancouver Island.
Clallam County Fire District 2 paramedics and park staff also responded, and the child was taken to a Seattle hospital via air ambulance, the news release said. The child was undergoing treatment Monday.
No other details were released on the child’s status.
Olympic National Park officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The cougar was collared, meaning it had a GPS tracker device on it.
Park rangers found the cougar shortly after the incident when a canine team joined the search, according to the news release. Rangers killed the animal Monday morning.
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There have been two fatal cougar attacks recorded in the state, and fewer than two dozen attacks in the past century. Most recently, five cyclists were attacked by a cougar while biking in the Cascade foothills in February 2024. A 2018 attack near Snoqualmie killed a cyclist and was the first deadly encounter in the state since 1924.
Cougars live all over Washington and use steep canyons, rock outcroppings, boulders or vegetation to hide while hunting, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Hurricane Ridge incident is still under investigation. Rangers said witnesses to the incident should call 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov.
Source: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/child-4-attacked-by-cougar-at-hurricane-ridge/