SPOKANE, Wash. — A 9-year-old girl is in intensive care after she was mauled by a cougar while camping in Washington state.
According to KIRO-TV, Lily Kryzhanivskyy was at a children’s camp near Fruitland, northwest of Spokane, over the weekend when the cougar attacked, wildlife officials said. The girl, whose face and body were covered in scratches and cuts, is being treated at a Spokane hospital, the news outlet reported.
“She wanted us to let people know that she is tough, and she is very brave,” Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Staci Lehman told KIRO.
The big cat was located and killed after the attack, KIRO reported. Authorities said they are conducting an autopsy on the cougar to determine whether it had rabies or another disease.
About 20 cougar attacks have been reported in Washington over the past 100 years, according to KIRO. State wildlife officials said two deaths have been attributed to the big cats, the news outlet reported.
If you see a cougar, you should stop and pick up small children with you, according to the DFW website. Do not run, as “running and rapid movements may trigger an attack,” the website says.
Officials also advise facing the cougar, trying to appear larger than the animal and speaking to it “firmly while slowly backing away,” according to the website.
“If the cougar attacks, fight back,” the website continues. “Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks and clothing – even bare hands. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake. Pepper spray in the cougar’s face is also effective in the extreme unlikelihood of a close encounter with a cougar.”
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