PORT ANGELES, Wash. – An 8-year-old child was taken to a hospital over the weekend after an ‘extraordinarily rare’ attack by a cougar inside Washington‘s Olympic National Park.
The terrifying incident occurred while the child and their family were camping at Lake Angeles, located in the Heart O’ the Hills area to the south of Port Angeles, Washington.
According to national park officials, the cougar casually abandoned its attack on the 8-year-old when the child’s mother began to scream and yell at the animal.
National park personnel quickly responded to the area to help and then escorted the family back to the trailhead for further assistance. Officials say the child survived the attack with minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
After the attack, remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area were evacuated, and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas was closed off to the public until further notice.
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“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 a statement. “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 officials are now on the hunt for the cougar, and if it is located, it will be euthanized. A necropsy will then be conducted to try and determine why the cougar attacked the 8-year-old since park officials say cougar attacks are “extraordinarily rare.”
Olympic National Park is considered to be cougar territory, and park officials say visitors need to be prepared for potential encounters.
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It’s recommended that visitors not hike or jog alone, and children should be watched and kept close to adults. Pets should also be left at home while camping inside the national park, and visitors should be aware of their surroundings.
If someone does cross paths with a cougar, it’s recommended not to run because it could trigger an attack. Instead, officials say people should group together, appear as large as possible, keep an eye on the animal, make a lot of noise, and shout. Throwing large objects is also recommended.