PORT ANGELES — Trackers are seeking a cougar that attacked an 8-year-old child, reportedly inflicting minor injuries, at Lake Angeles on Saturday evening.
“The cougar casually abandoned its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the child’s mother,” said Amos Almy, Olympic National Park public information officer, in a press release.
He added that the child, unidentified because of age, suffered minor injuries and was able to hike back to the trailhead with park personnel.
All remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area have been evacuated and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas are 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,” which is in the Heart O’ the hills area south of Port Angeles, said Tom Kay, park wildlife biologist.
“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.”
Park personnel, notified of the attack at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, arrived quickly to assess and stabilize the child’s medical condition before escorting he family back to the trailhead, Almy said.
“The child survived the attack with minor injuries and was taken to the local hospital for further evaluation,” he said.
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, Almy said.
“If the cougar is located, it will be euthanized and removed from the park for a necropsy,” Almy said. “This may provide clues as to why the animal attacked since cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are extraordinarily rare.”
The park has protocols in place for wildlife observations, interactions and attacks and “the lethal removal of this cougar is in line with these protocols,” Almy added.
Olympic National Park, which covers nearly 1 million acres, is considered cougar territory.
“It is important for visitors to be prepared for an encounter,” Almy said.
“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.”
Park personnel advise those who meet a cougar to refrain from running because 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. Throwing rocks or objects at the cougar also is recommended.
For more information on how to respond to a cougar encounter, see https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/upload/cougars.pdf.
