Cougar Spotted In Bonney Lake

BONNEY LAKE — A cougar was spotted in a Bonney Lake neighborhood early Thursday morning, now police are warning everyone to stay vigilant especially if they have pets.

Bonney Lake Police say one of their officers first spotted the cougar in the 18200 block of 97th Street East around 3 a.m. The officer captured footage of the fleeing animal on their dashcam.

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has been called in and will be searching the area all day Thursday, but until the cougar is captured police are reminding everyone to stay on the lookout. Pets can be an easy target for cougars, so pet owners are advised to keep their animals indoors where possible. Pet owners should also try to feed their animals indoors, or move food bowls indoors after dark.

According to Fish & Wildlife, cougar attacks are extremely rare, but do happen. Washington has had 19 cougar attacks since 1924. Two have been fatal: the most recent deadly attack happened in 2018.

If you come into contact with a cougar, the Department of Fish & Wildlife has some safety tips:

• Do not run. Stop, and pick up any small children immediately. If you run a cougar's instinct is to chase.
• Face the cougar. Continue facing the animal as you back away slowly. Always leave the cougar an escape route to leave peacefully.
• Try to appear large. If you have a jacket, open it and use it to increase your apparent size.
• If the cougar doesn't leave, be more assertive. If they crouch with ears back, hiss, or bare their fangs, respond by shouting and waving your arms. Anything to appear as a predator, and not prey.
• If in the rare case a cougar does attack, fight back. Experts say its especially helpful to stay on your feet when possible, using anything like sticks, rocks, or backpacks as a weapon. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will run.