On Sunday, a mountain lion attacked a 4-year-old child at Olympic National Park in Washington. A press release from the park notes that the incident occurred near the Victoria Overlook area on Hurricane Ridge, where the child was hiking with his or her family.
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Park staff and paramedics responded to the incident and transported the child to a trauma center via emergency helicopter. Some reports say the young victim survived because the child’s father pulled him away from the lion. (Witnesses who spoke to local KIRO 7 News indicated the child is a boy, although there is no official information about the victim aside from the age.)
[RELATED: ‘No Means No’: Hiker Has Scary Encounter With Mountain Lion]
“Rangers began searching for the cougar immediately following the incident,” Olympic National Park wrote in its press release. “A canine team joined the search at approximately 5 p.m. the same day. Rangers located the cougar shortly after the canine team joined the effort but did not complete the dispatch operation until the following morning.”
The latest reports suggest officials found and euthanized the mountain lion, which was collared.
When hiking in mountain-lion country, consider carrying a deterrent spray (often marketed as bear spray). “Bear spray” is effective against mountain lions, too.
See a local news report about the mountain-lion attack on a 4-year-old child here:
Header stock image by John Conrad/Getty Images
Best Bear (and Mountain Lion) Sprays
- SABRE Frontiersman MAX Bear and Mountain Lion Attack Deterrent
- Counter Assault Bear Deterrant Spray
- UDAP Pepper Power Bear Spray
- Mace Brand Bear Spray
- UDAP Griz Guard Bear Pepper Spray
Learn more about bear sprays here.
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