Cougar assaults 8-year-old boy as courageous mother scares animal away at Olympic Nationwide Park

A cougar attacked an 8-year-old boy who was tenting inside a nationwide park Saturday — however the baby’s mom was in a position to scare the animal away, officers mentioned.

The younger boy solely suffered minor accidents through the animal assault at round 6:30 p.m. in Olympic Nationwide Park in Washington State.

Remaining guests had been evacuated from a part of the park following the scary second, the National Park Service said in a news release.

The assault began when the cougar launched towards the boy whereas tenting at Lake Angeles, which is a part of the Coronary heart O’ the Hills space.

The kid’s mom “yelled and screamed” on the mountain lion and the animal “casually deserted” the assault.

Park personnel rapidly reached the scene and after the younger sufferer’s medical situation was assessed, the household was taken again to the trailhead, the park service mentioned.

The kid was then taken to a close-by hospital for additional analysis.

The Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas are actually off-limits indefinitely.

“Because of the excessive nature of this incident, we’re closing the Lake Angeles space and a number of other trails within the neighborhood,” mentioned Olympic Nationwide Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay in a press release.

“Out of an abundance of warning, the Lake Angeles Path, Heather Park Path, Switchback Path, and the whole Klahhane Ridge Path are closed till additional discover.” 

Legislation enforcement and wildlife officers started attempting to find the cougar early Sunday morning.

If the animal is discovered, it’ll be euthanized and brought from the park for a necropsy.

“This will present clues as to why the animal attacked since cougars are not often seen and assaults on people are terribly uncommon,” the park service acknowledged.

The park service warned that Olympic Nationwide Park is taken into account cougar territory, and guests must be prepared for any potential encounter.

Guests ought to journey in teams and kids ought to by no means be left alone within the space.

Park officers mentioned individuals shouldn’t run from cougars as a result of it would set off the wild animal’s assault mode.

Shouting and throwing objects at cougars are the most effective methods to keep away from being attacked, the park service mentioned.

Saturday’s cougar assault is amongst a number of violent incidents involving wildlife to happen inside nationwide parks this month.

A Minnesota lady was attacked by a bison at Theodore Roosevelt Nationwide Park on July 15, struggling “vital accidents to her stomach and foot,” officers mentioned.

Two days later, bison gored a 47-year-old Arizona lady within the chest whereas she was visiting Yellowstone Nationwide Park on what was supposed to be a proposal trip.

She survived however suffered extreme accidents to her chest and stomach.

She later acquired engaged after her boyfriend popped the query within the hospital.

And tragically, Kansas lady Amie Adamson was mauled to death by a grizzly bear whereas mountaineering a Montana path at Yellowstone Nationwide Park final week.