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A 9-year-old girl was hospitalized in Washington state this weekend after she was attacked by a cougar.
The attack occurred Saturday at a camp near Fruitland in Stevens County, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) told Newsweek. The girl was sent to a nearby hospital, and her condition as of Sunday morning was unknown.
However, a representative for the WDFW said that the animal was killed at the scene, and that authorities are now investigating the cause of the attack.
"We are also arranging for testing of the cougar to determine if it had an illness such as rabies that would make it more likely to attack. Our primary concern of course are with the girl and her family," the WDFW representative told Newsweek.
Though cougar attacks against humans are extremely rare, some recent sightings of the animals have caused concern in the state.
According to the WDFW website, cougar attacks very rarely happen in Washington. The first fatal incident was recorded in 1924, and since then, only 20 other cougar-human interactions that resulted in an injury have been documented by authorities.
However, the department still offers guidance on how to avoid a potentially dangerous interaction with the animals. WDFW Sergeant Chris Zuchlewski recently told King5 News, a local station in Seattle, that cougars sightings are more commonly spotted during the spring.
"You never want to run from a cougar," Zuchlewski said. "You actually want to not turn your back. You want to make eye contact. You want to speak confidently with that animal so that it doesn't view you as prey."
He added that if a cougar is seen around a home, on a hike, or on the side of the highway, the WDFW should be contacted.
The latest incident also comes amid a series of recent cougar sightings. Earlier this month, police in Kennewick, Washington, said that a cougar was seen jumping into a pool in a residential area. Police later found the animal's prints in the dirt, and encouraged anyone else who saw the cougar to contact local authorities.
Another resident in Kennewick, which is located in the state's southeastern region, recently spotted one of the animals roaming outside of her home's security system, according to United Press International.
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Meanwhile, a resident in Olympia, Washington, told King5 News this month that she's been afraid to take her ATV for a ride through the woods after one her neighbors spotted a cougar walking across their driveway.
"I think about my dogs and I think about riding on my quad, envisioning being attacked," Cara Stinson said.
However, the WDFW has encouraged people not to be too fearful of cougars, as many of them are simply roaming around for new territory and have no interest in harming humans.
Newsweek has also previously reported on cougar sightings in Washington. Last year, a cougar jumped through the screen door of a home before ending up unconscious in the kitchen sink after being tranquilized by police.
Becky Bennett, a spokesperson for WDFW, said at the time that the animal likely had no intention to attack, but was probably searching for a place to hide after roaming the neighborhood.
"Generally an animal gets disoriented and it's a matter of them getting lost and not knowing how to get away from the population," she added.
