Cougar euthanized in Pend Oreille County
KEITH KINNAIRD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
NEWPORT — A cougar in southern Pend Oreille County was euthanized after attacking a dog and biting a man when he intervened early Thursday morning, according to the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight, when the resident let two dogs out of the residence. A commotion was subsequently heard and the man saw one of his dogs being attacked by the cougar. The resident attempted to break up the confrontation and was bitten on the leg, the department said.
"He was trying to pull it off the dog," said Fish & Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman.
The incident was reported to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Office later that day and the report was referred to WDFW.
With the assistance of houndsmen, officers quickly tracked and shot the cougar. The cat was emaciated and weighed approximately 100 pounds. Lehman said adult male mountain lions typically weigh between 140-180 pounds.
"It was pretty old, too," said Lehman. "It wasn't in top condition."
Lehman said it was too hard to tell from observations what was afflicting the cat. It's not a mountain lion that was collared or one that was on the department's radar scope.
"This was not a cougar we were familiar with," she said.
Further evidence of the cat's infirmity was that it was found so quickly by trackers, which usually have only a couple of hours to locate a mountain lion after a confrontation.
"It hadn't gone far," said Lehman.
Although mountain lion are sometimes portrayed as fiercely opportunistic predators, Lehman said most cats seek to avoid human contact and attacks are typically the exception rather than the rule.
"They're really not common. They are fairly rare," Lehman said.
The last cougar attack in Washington state occurred in Leavenworth in June 2019. The cougar was reportedly acting abnormally and ended up attacking a child in a city park. The boy's dogs, however, managed to run the cat off.
The last fatal attack in the state occurred in May 2018, when a cougar killed one mountain biker and wounded another as they were riding near North Bend. That cat also exhibited unusual behavior, according to published media accounts.
Wildlife officials recommend making loud noises if people cross paths with a mountain lion. They also recommend facing the cougar and talking to it firmly while slowly backing away. Always leave the animal an escape route.
They further counsel people to try to appear larger than the cougar by getting above it by stepping onto a rock or stump and using a coat to make yourself appear larger.
Wildlife officials recommend against taking your eyes of the cat, turning your back or crouching.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.
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