Latest news with #wildlifeattack
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Mountain lion attacks dog in Colorado, prompting Boulder police to send out a warning
Boulder police are warning people in their Colorado community after a mountain lion attacked and killed a small dog on Friday night. It happened in the 2400 block of Balsam Avenue in the northern part of Boulder. Some residents of the city said the mountain lion appeared suddenly before the attack and then jumped on their dog. It then quickly went off with the deceased animal's body. The pet's remains were later located in a backyard. The mountain lion did not threaten the people. Another sighting of the same mountain lion was reported on Saturday. Officials from Boulder say these types of attacks are rare, but remember not to approach a mountain lion if you see one, and back away from it slowly. They have more information posted online, and shared the following tips for if you come upon a mountain lion: - Do not approach lions. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give the lion a way to escape. - Stay calm if you come upon a lion. Talk to it in a firm voice in an effort to demonstrate that you are human and not its regular prey. - Back away slowly. Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack. - Face the lion and make an effort to appear as large as possible. Open your jacket or lift objects to appear like a more formidable opponent. Pick up your children. - If the lion behaves aggressively, throw rocks, sticks or whatever you can pick up, without turning your back to the lion or bending down. - If the lion would happen to attack, fight back. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. Remain standing and keep attempting to get back up if you are brought to the ground.
CTV News
23-07-2025
- CTV News
Officials search for a bear that attacked a hiker on a popular trail in Anchorage, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A brown bear attacked a woman as she hiked a popular trail in a hillside neighbourhood in Anchorage, Alaska, and officials are still looking for the animal, state police said. State troopers used a helicopter to take the woman from the Basher Trail to a hospital, police spokesman Christopher Barraza said. Her injuries aren't considered life-threatening, he said. The woman, who has not been identified, called 911 at around 3 p.m. Tuesday and told the dispatcher that she had been mauled by a bear about two miles (3.2 kilometres) into the trail, in Stuckagain Heights, Barraza said. She told officials she couldn't walk. The trail is in the Chugach Mountains, which sit along Anchorage's eastern border. The woman spoke with officials by phone for about an hour, telling them the area she was in as they used drones to try to find her, Barraza said. She told them the bear ran off after it mauled her and that she wasn't able to see which direction it headed. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game blocked off the area and is searching for the bear, Barraza said. Anchorage, which is by far Alaska's biggest city, is home to about 290,000 people. Nearly 350 black bears, 65 brown bears and 1,600 moose also live there. 'We're advising everybody to make sure they go prepared when they go to do hikes and trails,' Barraza said. 'Make sure you know what to do when you see a bear, carry your bear spray, stuff like that.' The fire department wrote on Facebook that hikers should temporarily avoid the trails around the Stuckagain Heights area. The Associated Press
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Mountain Lion Is Euthanized After Attacking a Child in Olympic National Park
A mountain lion that bit a 4-year-old child on a popular trail at Olympic National Park in Washington State was euthanized on Monday, park officials said. The child was treated at a hospital in Seattle and released on Monday, officials said. The child had been walking with family at the national park on Sunday when the mountain lion, which was wearing a tracking collar for research purposes, attacked, according to park officials. The child's identity and extent of their injuries were not released. Mountain lion attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, according to wildlife experts. There have only been a couple dozen fatal attacks in the U.S. and Canada in the last 150 years, according to data. Mountain lions are mostly solitary cats, tending to keep a low profile among people, which makes sightings of them unusual. The child was attacked while on a popular trail near the Victoria Overlook area on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, officials said. Rangers were notified of the attack about 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, and paramedics and park staff quickly transferred the child by an air ambulance to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Rangers, and later a canine team, searched for the animal and found it on Sunday. It was not euthanized until Monday morning, park officials said. Mountain lions are known by more than 40 common names, including puma, cougar, panther, red tiger and catamount. They are most active at dusk and dawn, and their favorite prey are deer and elk. No details were released about the animal, or its contribution to research. In 2022, another collared mountain lion, known as P-22, was euthanized in Los Angeles after wildlife officials determined that he had serious health issues. That one had become a celebrity in the city, after helping to inspire the construction of a wildlife crossing bridge on the 101 Freeway. P-22 lived most of his life in Griffith Park and gained a social media following, with more than 10,000 followers on Instagram. But despite the crossing bridge, he was hit by a car in 2022. Soon afterward, he attacked two dogs, one of which died. Olympic National Park, which covers more than 920,000 acres on a thumb of land known as the Olympic Peninsula, is one of the largest, most remote, and least-developed protected areas in the United States.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Hero' father pulls four-year-old child out of mountain lion's jaws in Washington state
A mountain lion bit a four-year-old child on Sunday while the child hiked with family on Hurricane Ridge in Washington state's Olympic national park, authorities said. The child's father reportedly saved the minor's life by pulling the child from the creature's jaws. The harrowing – though rare – encounter occurred at about 3.15pm, according to a National Park Service statement. Early reports indicated that a collared cougar attacked the child while on a well-traveled trail. Related: These women are raising endangered butterfly larvae from prison: 'They reconnect with their own brilliance' Park rangers later tracked and euthanized the animal the next morning, according to officials. Emergency crews from the Clallam county fire district – who responded to the attack alongside park personnel – airlifted the injured child to a trauma center in Seattle. Park officials said the father may have saved his child's life by quickly intervening in the attack on a heavily used trail known for its expansive views. Witnesses who spoke to a local news outlet commended the man's bravery. Hiker Steve Murrow, who was on the same trail that day, told the Seattle television station KIRO: 'I don't think that kid would survive if it wasn't for his dad jumping in. 'I mean, he's a hero. You know, it just boils down to safety in numbers and it is rare that something like this would happen.' Murrow recalled realizing what was happening after hearing the 'screaming of a small child'. He and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, told KIRO that they arrived to find the child's mother holding the child, who was surrounded by people offering help. They were then told the father pulled the child away from the attacking lion. The Harborview medical center listed the child's condition as satisfactory, and facility officials said the minor had since been discharged, KIRO reported. The cougar involved had been wearing a GPS collar, and the attack site was near a scenic lookout known as Victoria Overlook on Hurricane Ridge. Officials said there was no ongoing danger to visitors at the park. They did not release information about the child's identity, citing privacy concerns. Mountain lion attacks on humans remain extremely uncommon in North America. The Mountain Lion Foundation says less than one such attack has occurred annually since 1868. Experts say these animals generally avoid humans, though sightings and encounters have slightly increased since conservation policies ended bounty hunting and allowed cougar populations to rebound. Only two people have died from mountain lion attacks in Washington state in the past century, and just about 20 other cases have resulted in injuries, according to the state's department of fish and wildlife. Nonetheless, when such cases do occur, they generate significant media attention. In March 2024, a group of women in Washington wrestled their friend out of the jaws of a cougar after the animal encountered and attacked them while they were on a biking trip, resulting in national news coverage. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
22-07-2025
- CTV News
Mountain lion bites 4-year-old on popular Olympic National Park trail, injuring child
The Olympic Mountains are seen beyond a forest from Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park, near Port Angeles, Wash, July 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompso, File) PORT ANGELES, Wash.— A mountain lion bit a 4-year-old who was walking with their family over the weekend on a popular trail in Olympic National Park in Washington state, park officials said Monday. The child was injured during Sunday's attack and flown to a trauma center in Seattle for treatment, according to a statement from the National Park Service. The attack by a mountain lion fitted with a tracking collar was near an overlook on Hurricane Ridge, a popular mountain area with expansive views. The attack was reported to rangers around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday and paramedics and park staff traveled to the injured child, according to the National Park Service. Rangers immediately started searching for the cougar and by Monday, park staff had 'dispatched the animal,' the statement said using a term that generally refers to killing an animal. 'There are no current threats to the public,' the statement said. Officials said they would not be releasing any identifying information about the child to protect their identity. The Associated Press
