Brave family dogs saves boy from cougar attack in Washington state park
A cougar knocked down a boy but was quickly scared off by the family pet in Washington.
A young child's close call with a cougar at a park in Washington state over the weekend could have turned out much worse had it not been for the family's dogs, an official revealed Sunday.
The incident happened Saturday night around dusk at Enchantment Park in Leavenworth, located about 115 miles east of Seattle, according to Washington State Patrol.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement posted to Twitter the big cat was spotted earlier in the day displaying "abnormal behavior," but officials were unable to find it. City officials had closed the park with the intention of returning Sunday morning with tracking dogs.
CHILD ESCAPES 'SERIOUS INJURY' AFTER ATTEMPTED COUGAR ATTACK IN WASHINGTON, POLICE SAY
But later that day the cougar attacked a young boy at the park -- the encounter only ending after the family’s dogs were set loose and went after the cat.
A child escaped serious injured after an attempted cougar attack at Enchantment Park in Leavenworth, Wash. on Saturday night around dusk, according to state police. (Washington State Patrol Trooper John Bryant)
“The cougar came out and did attack the child,” WDFW Capt. Michael Jewell told The Spokesman-Review. “They had some dogs with them that they turned loose. The dogs intervened and were able to successfully chase the cougar away.”
Washington State Patrol Trooper John Bryant shared on Twitter a photo of the animal taken by a local resident.
Officials from several agencies then worked throughout the night to track the cougar. It was eventually located at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning and was euthanized.
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Biologists from WDFW visually examined the cougar Sunday morning and found that it did not appear to be unhealthy, but are planning additional testing on the animal, according to the agency.
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Cougars, also known as mountain lions, usually hunt at night or during the hours around dawn or dusk, according to National Geographic.
"These cats employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite," the magazine notes. "They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days."
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