Boy, 4, Attacked By Cougar In Eastern Washington City Park

LEAVENWORTH, WA — A 4-year-old boy was attacked by a cougar around 9 p.m. Saturday at Enchantment Park near Leavenworth, according to authorities there. It's unclear why the cougar attacked the boy, but wildlife officials did track down and kill the animal.

The cougar was first spotted in the park around 4 p.m. Saturday, prompting park officials to close the facility, which is located along the Wenatchee River in the downtown area.

The cougar knocked the boy over, but he did not have serious injuries. The cougar, which was estimated to be close to 2 years old, was tracked down and killed around 1 a.m. Sunday.

This appears to be the first cougar-human attack so far in 2019. In late March, a cougar attacked and killed a dog walking with its owner along a beach near Hoodsport. Last spring, Seattle bicyclist S.J. Brooks, 32, was attacked and killed by a cougar in the woods near North Bend. Cougars have only killed 25 people in the entire U.S. since officials began tracking attacks about 100 years ago, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Brooks' death was only the second ever in Washington.