Cougar stalks lone runner on trail in Oregon. Here’s what to do if this happens
A cougar stalked a runner on an Oregon trail in an “extremely rare” encounter, wildlife officials said.
Although the experience was scary, the runner did the right things to stay safe.
On June 11, the runner was alone on the Angel’s Rest Trail in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area when they spotted a cougar, the U.S. Forest Service said in a Facebook post.
The animal approached the runner and tried to swipe its paw at them, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s spokesperson Beth Quillian told McClatchy News by email June 13.
In response, the runner slowly backed away, made themselves look large, kept eye contact and yelled at the animal, Quillian said.
The animal then followed for a quarter of a mile, keeping a distance of about 10 feet between them.
Eventually, “the cougar’s behavior and posture changed and it stopped following them,” Quillian said.
That’s when the runner sent an SOS message from a device to report the incident.
Multnomah County deputies and an Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division trooper responded to the trail, Quillian said.
Shortly later, the game and fish department contacted the runner and informed them that “encounters of this nature are extremely rare.” Wildlife officials also discussed with the runner how to stay safe in future cougar encounters.
“The vast majority of situations with potentially negative outcomes can be avoided by giving animals space, not feeding wildlife, supervising pets and children, and taking basic safety precautions,” Quillian said.
The Columbia River Gorge is a “spectacular river canyon” that runs 80 miles long and is 4,000 feet deep, according to forest officials. It divides Oregon and Washington.
What to do if you see a cougar
Cougars — also known as mountain lions, pumas and panthers — are typically “calm, quiet and elusive,” according to the National Park Service. While attacks involving cougars are rare, they are possible.
“Even so, the potential for being killed or injured by a mountain lion is quite low compared to many other natural hazards,” the National Park Service said on its website. “There is a far greater risk, for example, of being killed in an automobile accident with a deer than of being attacked by a mountain lion.”
Officials said there are some things you can do to prevent a cougar encounter from becoming an attack.
Stay calm and back away slowly.
Face the animal and stand up straight.
Don’t approach a cougar, especially if it’s with kittens.
Don’t run. It could stimulate a cougar’s chase instincts.
Pick up small children so they don’t panic or run away.
Don’t bend over or crouch down.
Throw things at the cougar if it continues to move toward you.
If the cougar attacks, fight back using anything around you.
Report all sightings, encounters or attacks to local park rangers or law enforcement.
