8-year-old survives cougar attack in Washington park

An eight-year-old has survived a cougar attack in Washington state, sustaining what are being described by officials as “minor injuries.”

It happened in Olympic National Park on Saturday, according to the U.S. National Park Service (NPS).

The child was reportedly camping with their family when the cougar attacked.

“The cougar casually abandoned its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the child’s mother,” the NPS said in a release. “Park personnel quickly responded and once the child’s medical condition was assessed and stabilized, the family was escorted back to the trailhead by park personnel.”

The Lake Angeles area was evacuated, with officials also blocking access to the surrounding region until further notice “due to the extreme nature of this incident.”

A part of Washington state’s Olympic National Park was closed after an eight-year-old was attacked by a cougar while camping in the Lake Angeles area on Saturday, July 29, 2023. (Courtesy U.S. National Park Service)

The NPS says park enforcement and wildlife personnel who specialize in cougar tracking were dispatched Sunday morning to the animal’s last-known location.

If found, the service says the cougar will be put down and “removed from the park for a necropsy.”

“This may provide clues as to why the animal attacked since cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are extraordinarily rare,” the NSP said on its website. “Olympic National Park has extensive protocols in place for wildlife observations, interactions, and attacks and the lethal removal of this cougar is in line with these protocols.”

People are being reminded that Olympic National Park in its entirety is considered “cougar territory.” The NPS is urging visitors and locals take precautions and be prepared for potential encounters with wildlife.