A small group of cyclists were enjoying a Saturday ride in Washington when a cougar suddenly attacked them in the middle of the day.
The five bike riders while cycling on a road near Fall City, Wash., at about 1 p.m. Saturday when the cougar appeared, according to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). A 75-pound male cougar attacked a 60-year-old woman in the group, injuring her neck and face until her fellow riders could fight it off.
The cyclists may have used their bikes to pin the animal down until the King County Sheriff’s Office arrived and killed the cougar, officials said. Though injured, the woman is now in stable condition.
“We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend,” Lieutenant Erik Olson said in the WDFW news release. “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 the young cougar upon arrival. The animal will be examined at a laboratory at Washington State University to determine its age, possible diseases, and body condition.
Eyewitnesses on the scene said they saw a second cougar, but after an exhaustive search with hounds, police didn’t find another animal. The cyclists were in a wilderness area along Tokul Creek, sheriff’s office spokesman Eric White-Sergeant said.
“I was told by Fish and Wildlife that that the deceased animal involved in the incident was a juvenile and therefore relatively small,” he said.
