A family had the scare of a lifetime during a recent visit to Olympic National Park in Washington state. A cougar attacked an unidentified 8-year-old boy while the family was camping at Lake Angeles. Thankfully, the child suffered only minor injuries.
The boy was transported to a local hospital, and park personnel evacuated the area near the attack. The cougar's actions raised concerns among nature enthusiasts and many who may think twice before heading out to a place where wild animals reside.
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The child's mother was credited with stopping the attack.
According to a news release from the National Park Service, the family notified Olympic National Park officials of the attack around 6:30 p.m. on July 29. The cougar reportedly attacked the child, and his mother began screaming and yelling at the cougar. The NPS said this is when the cougar casually left the Heart O' the Hills area, south of Port Angeles. Park officials responded to care for the child.
"The child survived the attack with minor injuries and was taken to the local hospital for further evaluation. 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," the release noted.
Olympic National Park closed several areas of the park after the attack.
Because the cougar attacked and there was a potential threat, park personnel decided it was best to close off specific areas to protect visitors.
"Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity," Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist, Tom Kay said in the release. "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."
The park is actively looking for the cougar.
The park reported that experts in cougar tracking are searching for the cougar that attacked the young boy. If it is located, it will be euthanized to protect others. They will perform a necropsy, an autopsy for animals, to determine what caused the attack. According to officials, cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare.
The park warned that guests are in 'cougar territory' when they visit.
Parks are animals' homes, and people need to be considerate of that fact. The park encouraged visitors never to walk or hike alone and always to be aware of their surroundings.
"If you meet a cougar, it is important to not run because it 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 is also recommended," officials advised.
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The attack brought lively conversation on Olympic National Park's Facebook page.
There were many opinions about how the park, and the family, handled the situation and what people must do while exploring nature.
Some feel that humans know the risks. "I mean … to close off all these areas is a little much," one person wrote. "Let people take the risks they feel comfortable with. There are dangerous animals all throughout nature."
"These trail closures seem very excessive," a commenter agreed. "Mountain lions live in the mountains so we are sort of visiting their turf. Glad the kid is okay though."
Others feel the park did the responsible thing. "Thank you Olympic National Park for closing the trails till this can be addressed," a comment reads. "It seems like extreme behavior on the cougars part. I know you'll get pushback. But a little safety isn't bad. There are many trails still available."
And one person wanted to refrain from casting aspersions against the family: "I'd say it's pretty unfair to judge these people or assume that their behavior caused the attack when we don't have any details. There's been a cougar in the area acting unusually aggressive and there were previous trail closures because of it. This could be the same animal."
