Boy, 8, miraculously escapes cougar attack with minor injuries while camping with family
An eight-year-old boy escaped with solely minor injuries after being attacked by a cougar in Olympic Nationwide Park in Washington state, the Nationwide Park Service (NPS) says.
The boy was camping with his family close to Lake Angeles when he was set upon by the mountain lion at round 6.30pm on Saturday, the NPS said in a statement.
“The cougar casually deserted its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the kid’s mom,” officers stated.
The boy was stabilised and handled for minor injuries on the campsite earlier than being taken to hospital for additional analysis.
The remaining campers had been evacuated and trails within the space had been closed “because of the excessive nature of this incident,” Olympic Nationwide Park Wildlife biologist Tom Kay stated in a press release.
Park rangers and specialist trackers had been dispatched to seek for the cougar on Sunday morning.
Officers stated if situated, the massive cat could be euthanised in line with longstanding park tips and brought for a necropsy to find out why it had attacked.
“This will present clues as to why the animal attacked since cougars are hardly ever seen and assaults on people are terribly uncommon,” the NPS stated.
A boy miraculously escaped with minor injuries after a cougar confrontation in Washington state
(AP)
“Olympic Nationwide Park has intensive protocols in place for wildlife observations, interactions, and assaults and the deadly elimination of this cougar is in line with these protocols,” it stated.
All of Olympic Nationwide Park is taken into account cougar territory and guests are urged to not hike or jog alone.
The park service recommends maintaining kids in sight always and for hikers to go away their pets at residence.
If an individual encounters a cougar, officers advise them to not run as it might set off the animal’s attack instincts.
Fairly, guests ought to group collectively, seem as massive as attainable, keep eye contact with the animal, make numerous noise and shout loudly.
There have been simply 27 documented deadly mountain lion assaults recorded in North America prior to now 150 years, based on researchers.
The final occurred in 2018, when Diana Bober was killed while mountaineering the Hunchback Path within the Mount Hood Nationwide Forest in Oregon.
