9-year-old girl survives rare cougar attack in Washington

A 9-year-old girl survived a cougar attack while camping in Washington state, about an hour and a half south of the B.C. border.

It happened Saturday morning near Fruitland, Washington which is in the north eastern part of the state, close to Tacoma.

The girl had been wandering up a trail with two friends when the cat attacked her. Her friends ran away while the girl tried to fight back.

Adults rushed to help and were able to scare the cat away. The child was airlifted to a hospital, where she’s recovering after surgery for multiple wounds to her head and upper body.

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The young male cougar was located and killed.

Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman says cougar attacks are rare, with only two fatalities in the last century in Washington state.

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“In this instance, this little girl did nothing wrong,” she said. “It happened so quickly, and there’s nothing she could have done to prevent it,” Lehman said.

Anyone confronted by a cougar should yell at the animal and try to make yourself look bigger than it is, she said. If it attacks, “fight back as hard as you can and try to stay on your feet.”

“Do not turn around. Don’t take your eyes off the animal,” Lehman added. “Don’t run.”