As you know, a group of five cyclists were biking on a road when one of the cyclists, an adult female, was attacked by a cougar. She sustained injuries to her neck and face and is in stable condition.
Several news agencies are reporting that she was released from the hospital yesterday, February 18th, in the afternoon. **Correction the cyclist remains in the hospital as of 2/22/2024.
“We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend,” said Lieutenant Erik Olson. “The people on scene took immediate action to render aid, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts.”
Fish and Wildlife officers removed a young male 75-pound cougar on arrival at the scene. WDFW is submitting the cougar for an examination at the Washington State University lab and will release more information on the age, disease testing, and body condition after the examination is complete.
Eyewitnesses to the incident indicated they saw a second cougar run through the scene. WDFW Police performed an exhaustive search on the afternoon of Feb. 17 with the aid of hounds and did not find a second cougar.
You can read the statement here.
According to a WDFW age chart posted on the Mountain Lion Foundation website, a 75-pound male cougar would be classified as a kitten at that weight and all things being normal approximately 9-10 months of age.
