Cougar shot dead by police after fatal attack on cyclists

TWO friends out on a morning mountain bike ride 30 miles east of Seattle were attacked by a cougar which killed one and left the other in hospital.

Hours after the attack on Saturday, the cougar was found up a tree near the dead man’s body and police shot and killed it, The Seattle Times reported.

The injured man was said to be in a stable condition. Authorities say the cougar initially attacked him before running away. Moments later, it returned with deadly results.

“He jumped the first victim and attacked him,” said Sgt Ryan Abbott, of the King County sheriff ’s office.

“The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.”

The injured man, 31, rode for about two miles before getting sufficient mobile phone coverage to call the emergency services. Sgt Abbott said that when rescuers arrived it took them about 30 minutes to locate the second victim, 32, who was dead with the cougar standing on top of him.

“The deputies shot at him and spooked him, and he ran off,” he said.

Rich Beausoleil, the state’s bear and cougar specialist, said it was only the second fatality in the state in the past 94 years. “But it’s one too many,” he added.

Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, are a protected species.