Cougar presumed responsible for Washington cyclist attack killed

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The cougar that is thought to have attacked a group of cyclists in King County, Wash. on Feb. 17, leaving one woman hospitalized, was shot to death by a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Police officer, officials say.

The five cyclists were attacked while riding on a bike trail northeast of Fall City around 1 p.m.

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife spokesperson Becky Elder told KOIN 6 News that the cougar was killed shortly after the attack.

“One cougar was dispatched by an officer with a firearm when they arrived on scene,” Elder said. “The animal is presumed to be the animal involved in the incident; further testing will be conducted to confirm.” 

Witnesses told authorities that they may have seen a second cougar in the area at the time of the attack. WDFW brought in a tracking dog to search the area. However, no other cougars were found.

“Public safety is our priority, during a human-wildlife incident,” Elder said. “We concluded our search efforts Saturday evening after an exhaustive search of the area with assistance from a houndsman.”

According to WDFW, cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare. Two people have been killed and 20 have been injured by cougars in Washington state in the last century.