Five cyclists attacked by cougar on Washington trail

Five cyclists were attacked by a cougar Saturday afternoon on a Washington trail, with one victim hospitalized for injuries sustained. 

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers received a report of a human-cougar attack at 12:48 p.m. local time, the agency said. The group of cyclists was attacked on a trail northeast of Fall City, Washington, in King County.

One adult female victim was hospitalized due to her injuries. She is in stable condition, according to a press release. 

Fish and Wildlife officers removed one cougar upon arrival at the scene. According to WDFW, eyewitness accounts indicated there was a second cougar; however, one was not found near the scene. 

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There are approximately 3,600 cougars in Washington state as of 2022, according to the WDFW website. The agency noted that cougar attacks in the state on humans are rare, with two fatal cougar attacks recorded in the last 100 years. 

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Approximately 20 other encounters that have resulted in human injury have been recorded over the same period, according to the agency’s website. 

One of those attacks came just last year. In July 2023, an 8-year-old girl camping with her family at Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, Washington, was attacked by a cougar and treated for minor injuries. She was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, according to the National Park Service. 

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The area was temporarily closed to the public as a result of the attack. 

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.