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Man survives ‘predatory’ cougar attack in western Canada by fighting back, officers say
The cougar attack on a man reported Monday afternoon in the Soo Valley north of Vancouver, Canada, “was predatory in nature,” officials say.
The victim is a 69-year-old man, who suffered major injuries while fighting off the cougar, officials said. His identity has not been released.
Canada’s Conservation Officer Service says the mauling happened around 3:30 p.m. Monday, near the British Columbia community of Whistler. That’s about 220 miles north of Seattle.
“The man was mauled by a cougar and suffered major injuries to his face and hand,” the Conservation Officer Service wrote on Facebook. “He was taken to (a) hospital via ambulance and is reportedly in stable condition.”
In an update posted Tuesday afternoon on Facebook, the service said the cougar was “a young, emaciated male and the attack was predatory in nature.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Whistler were the first to arrive at the scene and “euthanized a cougar on the property,” officials said. However, the “rural property” continues to be monitored due to safety concerns, officials said.
“CO’s believe the offending cougar was the one put down yesterday and the public is not at risk. The public is urged to be prepared in case of any wildlife encounters,” the Conservation Officer Service reported.
“While such attacks are rare, a highly-motivated cougar desperate for food is more likely to attack a human. The COS would like to emphasize that the victim took the right steps in the event of such an encounter and fought back against the cougar, which likely saved his life.”
Cougars go by multiple names on the continent, including mountain lion, puma and panther. Males grow to about 220 pounds and 6.5 feet in length, Nature Canada reports.
“This large cat is one of Canada’s most dangerous predators, capable of killing prey much bigger than his own weight,” Back Country Canada Travel reports. “Even a 270-kilogram (595 pounds) moose is not safe with a cougar.”
Wild Safe BC reports cougar attacks are rare, but calls about the creature account for around 2,500 calls annually to the Conservation Officer Service.
“In the past 100 years, there have been fewer than two dozen fatal cougar attacks in North America,” Outsideonline.com reports.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 6:00 AM.
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