A mountain lion bit a four-year-old child on Sunday while the child hiked with family on Hurricane Ridge in Washington state\u2019s Olympic national park, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The child\u2019s father reportedly saved the minor\u2019s life by pulling the child from the creature\u2019s jaws.<\/p>\n
The harrowing \u2013 though rare \u2013 encounter occurred at about 3.15pm, according to a National Park Service statement. Early reports indicated that a collared cougar attacked the child while on a well-traveled trail.<\/p>\n
Park rangers later tracked and euthanized the animal the next morning, according to officials.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews from the Clallam county fire district \u2013 who responded to the attack alongside park personnel \u2013 airlifted the injured child to a trauma center in Seattle.<\/p>\n
Park officials said the father may have saved his child\u2019s life by quickly intervening in the attack on a heavily used trail known for its expansive views. Witnesses who spoke to a local news outlet commended the man\u2019s bravery.<\/p>\n
Hiker Steve Murrow, who was on the same trail that day, told the Seattle television station KIRO: \u201cI don\u2019t think that kid would survive if it wasn\u2019t for his dad jumping in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, he\u2019s a hero. You know, it just boils down to safety in numbers and it is rare that something like this would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murrow recalled realizing what was happening after hearing the \u201cscreaming of a small child\u201d. He and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, told KIRO that they arrived to find the child\u2019s mother holding the child, who was surrounded by people offering help.<\/p>\n
They were then told the father pulled the child away from the attacking lion.<\/p>\n
The Harborview medical center listed the child\u2019s condition as satisfactory, and facility officials said the minor had since been discharged, KIRO reported.<\/p>\n
The cougar involved had been wearing a GPS collar, and the attack site was near a scenic lookout known as Victoria Overlook on Hurricane Ridge.<\/p>\n
Officials said there was no ongoing danger to visitors at the park. They did not release information about the child\u2019s identity, citing privacy concerns.<\/p>\n
Mountain lion attacks on humans remain extremely uncommon in North America. The Mountain Lion Foundation says less than one such attack has occurred annually since 1868.<\/p>\n
Experts say these animals generally avoid humans, though sightings and encounters have slightly increased since conservation policies ended bounty hunting and allowed cougar populations to rebound.<\/p>\n
Only two people have died from mountain lion attacks in Washington state in the past century, and just about 20 other cases have resulted in injuries, according to the state\u2019s department of fish and wildlife.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, when such cases do occur, they generate significant media attention. In March 2024, a group of women in Washington wrestled their friend out of the jaws of a cougar after the animal encountered and attacked them while they were on a biking trip, resulting in national news coverage.<\/p>\n