[Vision2020] A Case for Maternal Heroism

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (September 10, 2009) Spokesman Review.

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Her son downed by cougar, mother uses weapon at hand
Rich Landers

She has asked to remain anonymous, but recognition is required for any
supermom who fights off a cougar that’s mauling her 5-year-old son.

Her weapon: a metal water bottle.

The attack occurred Sept. 2 on the Silver Creek portion of the hiking
trail to Abercrombie Mountain, northwest of Metaline Falls.

The family, visiting from Rossland, B.C., had spread out a bit. The father
and daughter were ahead followed by the mother and the son, who was
lagging less than 20 yards behind her, according to Washington Fish and
Wildlife Department enforcement supervisor Mike Whorton.

The cougar sprang out of the only patch of cover along that stretch of
trail, investigating officers reported.

“The mother was just picking up the water bottle her husband had left on
the trail for her when she saw her son go to the ground out of the corner
of her eye,” Whorton said.

“She immediately ran over and began hitting the cougar with the stainless
steel bottle. She was there so fast the cougar didn’t have a chance to get
a death grip on the boy’s neck. The claw marks on his chest indicated the
cougar was still trying to turn him into position to get a good hold.”

The mother beat the cat – estimated at 80 pounds – hard enough to make it
release the boy. But the cougar retreated only a few feet and looked back.

The mother threw the water bottle.

There was no radar to record the speed or umpire to call the accuracy, but
she had enough stuff on that bottle to persuade the cougar to sprint
downhill and disappear into the timber.

Steeee-rike!

The boy is healing with no complications from the teeth and claw marks to
his head and chest, the family told Whorton.

A hunter with hounds had no luck in tracking down the offending cougar
last weekend.

Fish and Wildlife officials issued the hunter a three-day kill permit.

“That’s basically all we can do,” Whorton said. “At this point, if we
found a cougar in the area we’d have no cause to believe it’s the cat that
took down the child.”

The incident emphasizes a precaution wildlife experts preach to families
heading into cougar or wolf country.

Kids should be kept close and between adults as much as possible. Cougars
and wolves in particular are known to key in on the smallest and most
vulnerable prey in a flock, and that means children.

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Seeya at Farmers' Market, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy."

- Spanish Proverb