5 Cyclists Attacked by Cougar in Washington: ‘I Hope That She Will Recover’

One woman was hospitalized after five cyclists were attacked by a cougar on a bike path in Washington over the weekend.

According to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), officials received a report Saturday afternoon of a “human-cougar incident with documented injuries” in King County.

WDFW said the woman was hospitalized for her injuries and is in “stable condition.”

First responders told local media outlet KIRO 7 that the woman, 60, was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries to her face, jaw and neck.

“I hope he will recover. She will be fine. I hear it’s not life threatening,” Sgt. Carlo Pace of the Fish and Wildlife Police told the newspaper.

Mountain biking trail.

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Sergeant Pace said other cyclists were able to pin down the cougar with a mountain bike until officers arrived. The cougar was then shot and killed, according to Sgt.

“If it wasn’t for the reaction of her friends, it could have been much worse because these animals are deadly,” he added.

According to a statement from the King County Sheriff’s Office, according to CNN, the attack happened along Tokul Creek. “One cyclist (reportedly a 60-year-old woman) sustained either claw injuries or a bite from one of the cats during this incident,” the statement said.

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“One juvenile cougar was removed by Fish and Wildlife officers upon arrival at the scene,” WDFW said in a statement.

Trackers were also dispatched to find a possible second cougar that was involved in the incident according to the statement, but WDFW said they did not find another cougar near the scene.

As of 2022, WDFW estimates there are about 3,600 cougars in Washington state, according to their website.

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A WDFW spokesperson told PEOPLE that cougar attacks on humans are “extremely rare.” “Washington State has had two fatal cougar attacks and approximately 20 other recorded encounters resulting in human injury in the last 100 years,” said Becky Elder of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Service.

However, the agency said that if someone comes face-to-face with a cougar, they should not run away because it “may trigger an attack.”

Other tips include trying to make yourself look bigger than the cougar and talking to it firmly while you “slowly retreat”, as well as fighting back if attacked.

“Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet,” the WDFW website says. “Cougars were chased away by people who fought back using whatever they had at hand, including sticks, stones, shovels, backpacks and clothes – even with their bare hands. If you’re aggressive enough, the cougar will run away realizing it’s made a mistake.”

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Source: HIS Education