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Cougar kills one mountain biker and injures another in Washington state Cougar kills one mountain biker and injures another in Washington state
(about 4 hours later)
One man was killed and another seriously injured when they encountered a cougar on Saturday while mountain biking in Washington state. A mountain lion killed one mountain biker and mauled another in Washington state on Saturday when they rode into its territory. State officials later tracked the animal and shot it dead, police said.
Authorities said the two men were on a morning bike ride in the foothills near North Bend when the attack occurred. The mountain lion ran into the woods and officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Game were trying to track it, King County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt Ryan Abbott said. The mountain bikers were riding together down a remote, backwoods trail at 11am local time in an area near North Bend, Washington state, around 30 miles (48 km) east of Seattle, when the they encountered the animal.
The 31-year-old survivor was taken to a hospital 30 miles west in Seattle. He was listed in serious condition in the emergency room but was alert and talking, Harborview Medical Center said in a statement. In the ensuing attack, the first rider received deep scratches and the other was dragged away by the cougar to its den, King county sheriff spokesman Sergeant Ryan Abbot said.
A search and rescue team was dispatched to recover the body of the deceased man. The 31-year-old survivor rode two miles out of the area and called 911.
KIRO-TV reported that the injured man called 911 shortly before 11am and shouted: “Can you hear me? Help!” and then the call hung up. Authorities found the cougar standing over the body of the dead biker, the station reported. KIRO-TV reported that the injured man called 911 shortly before 11am and shouted: “Can you hear me? Help!” and then the call hung up.
It was not immediately clear if the two victims were biking together or separately. No further details were immediately available. Police drove up the trail, found the victim’s bike and went into the woods where they came across the cougar standing over the victim’s body, Abbott said.
“He or she, I don’t know if the cougar was a male or female, had the body of the victim down in his den,” said Ryan.
A deputy took a shot at the animal, sending it fleeing into the woods. Officers of the state fish and game department tracked the cat with dogs and killed it, Abbott said. The surviving cyclist was taken to hospital in Seattle with serious but none-life-threatening injuries, he said.
Fatal cougar attacks are extremely rare in North America, with only about two dozen recorded in the last 100 years, most of them involving children.
It was only the second deadly attack by a mountain lion in Washington state in the last 100 years, Abbott said.
Cougars are the fourth largest cat species worldwide, with adult females weighing up to 141 pounds (64 kgs) and males weighing as much as 220 pounds (100 kgs).
They attack prey by ambush and usually attack humans only if cornered.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report.
Washington stateWashington state
AnimalsAnimals
WildlifeWildlife
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