PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Select trails have reopened at Olympic National Park after a cougar attacked an 8-year-old child last month.
The Switchback and Sunrise Ridge trails have reopened, but the Heather Park Trail and Lake Angeles Trail will remain closed until further notice, the national park announced Tuesday.
Clallam County Transit will resume the stops at the Switchback Trailhead.
The child was attacked on July 29 while camping with their family at Lake Angeles. The cougar "casually abandoned" the attack after the child's mother yelled at it, according to the National Park Service.
The child only sustained minor injuries, like small scrapes and punctures.
"Luckily, the mom responded perfectly and quickly and started yelling and screaming at this cougar. It let the kid go and walked away," said Amos Almy, acting public information officer for Olympic National Park.
The Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory. The National Park Service recommends visitors do not hike or jog alone and to keep children within sight and close to adults.
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
Fish and Wildlife said it has seen an increase in cougar reports. However, this could be attributed to the rise of home surveillance camera systems and recorded cellphone video.
Those numbers don't transfer to cougar attacks. In Washington state, there have only been 22 cougar attacks on humans in the last 100 years. Two people have been killed.
