The attack occurred Saturday morning near Fruitland, Washington. The girl defended herself while her friends ran away. The adults quickly arrived at the scene and found the little girl covered in blood. Others found the young feline and killed it.
The minor was immediately airlifted to a hospital, where she is recovering after surgery for multiple head and upper body injuries.
Cougar attacks are rare and have caused just two fatalities in the last century in Washington state, said Staci Lehman, a spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
“In this case, this girl did nothing wrong,” he said. “It happened so fast, and there’s nothing she could have done to prevent it.”
Anyone in that situation should yell at the animal and try to make themselves look taller than it is, he added. And if the cat attacks, “defend yourself as much as possible and try to stay on your feet.”
“Don’t turn your back on him. Do not take your eyes off the animal,” Lehman added. “And don’t run.”
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