A violent encounter with wildlife left a woman with facial and neck injuries after a cougar pounced on her during a bike ride on a Washington state trail, officials confirmed. The attack occurred northeast of Fall City, about 25 miles from Seattle, where the 60-year-old was cycling with friends who heroically intervened to save her from the predatory cat, reported ABC News.
The ambush took place on Saturday when the cougar "latched onto" the woman without warning, her quick-thinking companions managed to wrestle the animal, and pin it beneath a mountain bike until authorities arrived—Sgt. Carlo Pace from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police recounted the intense moment to KOMO-TV. According to NBC affiliate KING-TV, "They did struggle with this animal, they did fight back, if it wasn’t for these people the lady that was attacked would be in much worse shape," says Pace.
Following the incident, the woman received medical treatment and has since been released from the hospital. The cougar, identified as a 75-pound young male by the wildlife agency, was subsequently shot and killed by wildlife police, as detailed by ABC News. Authority figures remarked on the unusual nature of such attacks, with the department having recorded only another similar incident last July when an 8-year-old incurred minor wounds from a cougar in Olympic National Park, as cited by ABC News.
During the search, witnesses indicated they had spotted a second cougar passing through the area; however, department officers were unable to locate another animal despite a thorough search a second animal was mentioned by witnesses, however, searches yielded no sign of it, U.S. News & World Report indicated. Wildlife officer Pace provided context for the attack noting the cyclists were near a creek—an area viewed by cougars as a prime spot for tracking prey, according to NBC-affiliated KING-TV—and suggested it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
