Lake Cowichan boy released from hospital after cougar attack

CHEK

A seven-year-old boy has been released from hospital Saturday, after a cougar attack in Lake Cowichan.

The child was mauled near the water off Point Ideal Drive around 3:30 p.m. Friday.

He was airlifted to Cowichan District Hospital before being transferred to a Victoria-area hospital. He suffered head, neck and arm injuries.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service received the report of the attack, by one or more cougars, around 4 p.m.

Officers tracked down and shot two mountain lions around 5:45 p.m.

Witnesses told officials there were two cougars involved in the incident, but out of an abundance of caution officers stayed on the scene until Saturday to see if there was a third.

As the two cougars were younger, authorities say there was a possibility another member of the litter would be around, so officers set up cameras and traps overnight.

The attack took place in a gated community at the end of Point Ideal Drive.

The town’s mayor, Rod Peters, arrived on the scene shortly after the incident.

“The cougar ran out of the gated area down into the swamp, then all the conservation officers and the dogs went down there, ” said Peters.

“There was quite the ruckus of barking and stuff, then another shot and they hauled the cougar out.”

Peters says he doesn’t remember an attack like this one in his 40 years in Lake Cowichan, but says there have been recent cougar sightings in the area.

LAKE COWICHAN COUGAR ATTACK

LAKE COWICHAN COUGAR ATTACK

Duration 1m

Video broadcasted Friday

Julian KolsutJulian Kolsut

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