KING COUNTY, Washington – A group of five mountain bikers were stalked and attacked by at least one mountain lion on Saturday, leaving one cyclist injured.
According to CNN, the King County Sheriff’s Office reported that one cougar was pinned down by the cyclists while another animal fled. Emergency services were called and a wildlife officer responded to the scene, putting the animal down upon arrival.
“One biker (reportedly a 60-year-old female) received either claw or bite injuries from one of the cats during this incident. The injured woman was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.” – King County Sheriff’s Office
The incident reportedly occurred along the Tokel Creek area. The cyclists used a bike to keep the animal down, allowing wildlife agents, deputies, and medical personal to arrive without anyone receiving life-threatening injuries. The cougar was put down by an officer with a firearm.
“Fish and Wildlife personnel removed one subadult cougar at the scene, it is presumed to be older than six months however an accurate age will be determined by officials once tooth data is taken from the cougar.” – Becky Elder, Washington State Fish and Wildlife police spokesperson
A second cougar was reported by eyewitnesses, but a houndsman brought in on Saturday afternoon was unable to track the animal.
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