Are cougars and pumas the same species? Olympic National Park service tracks mountain lion that attacked 8-year-old boy
LAKE ANGELES, WASHINGTON: Over the weekend, an instance of cougar sighting in the Olympic National Park was almost on the verge of taking a horrifying turn. An eight-year-old child, who had gone camping with their family, was taken by a mountain lion near Lake Angeles in Olympic National Park, Kiro 7 reports. Fortunately, the child came back safely with only a few scratches and bruises and was immediately taken to the Olympic Medical Center situated nearby.
The park service reacted immediately by shutting down a handful of trails and deploying teams to track down the rogue animal. It is said that if the animal is found, it might be euthanized by the authorities as there is no hope of rehabilitation. Wildlife biologist Jason Knight, who spent years tracking cougars in the Cascade foothills, opined that the incident is rare, making him believe that something is wrong with the beast.
Are cougars and pumas the same species?
As per The National Wildlife Federation, mountain lions are also known by the names of cougar, puma, panther, or catamount, making cougars and puma the same type of animal. Mountain lions are a large cat species native to America. As per the NWF, “Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest.” Black markings can be found on the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout.
Quite interestingly, these animals vary a lot in their size and weight with the smallest species being found close to the Equator and the largest animals gradually increasing in number as one moves towards the poles. The males weigh between 115 and 220 pounds (52 and 100 kilograms) and females weigh between 64 and 141 pounds (29 and 64 kilograms).
The animals are territorial having naturally low population densities. They can thrive anywhere including mountains, forests, deserts, and wetlands. The style of the hunting of the mountain lions is also very interesting as they are generally prone to “hunting at night and often lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord.”
In the wilds, they can live around 10 years, while in captivity they can live up to 21 years. According to the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, there are around 1,900 to 2,100 adult cougars in the state of Washington. The animals are known for their rare interactions with humans.
Animal retreated after child’s mom screamed
According to a news release from the National Park Service, the animal “casually abandoned its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the child’s mother,” reports CNN. After receiving the news of the attack around 6.30 pm, the park service quickly responded, clearing the Lake Angeles area of all campers. They closed the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas until further notice.
Olympic National Park wildlife biologist Tom Kay in the news release said, “Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity,” before adding, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice.”
He further added that if the animal is found, it will be euthanized and a necropsy will be performed. He added, “This may provide clues as to why the animal attacked since cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are extraordinarily rare.”