The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review

Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Clear Day 73° Clear
Cache Reset
Admin Edit Exit Admin
Log in Subscribe
Activate
My account Log out
Go to e-Edition Sign up for newsletters Customer service
Subscribe now
News >  Pacific NW

9-year-old girl hospitalized after cougar attack in Stevens County

UPDATED: Sun., May 29, 2022

A 9-year-old girl was injured by a cougar in near Fruitland, in Stevens County, on Saturday morning. She was taken to a hospital and her condition has not been released. The animal was killed on scene. The cougar in this image was photographed in Yellowstone National Park in 2019. (Courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service)
A 9-year-old girl was injured by a cougar in near Fruitland, in Stevens County, on Saturday morning. She was taken to a hospital and her condition has not been released. The animal was killed on scene. The cougar in this image was photographed in Yellowstone National Park in 2019. (Courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service)
By Garrett Cabeza garrettc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

A cougar attacked a 9-year-old girl attending a camp Saturday morning near Fruitland in Stevens County.

The girl was injured and taken to a hospital, according to an email from Staci Lehman, communications manager at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The girl’s condition was unclear Saturday afternoon.

The cougar was killed at the scene, Lehman wrote. WDFW is investigating the incident.

Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare, according to the state agency. The first cougar attack in Washington that resulted in a human death was reported in 1924. Since then, state authorities recorded 20 other cougar-human encounters that resulted in a documented injury, including a second fatal attack in 2018 roughly 30 miles east of Seattle.

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.

Active Person

Subscribe now to get breaking news alerts in your email inbox

Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens.

Top stories in Pacific NW