Cougar shot after attacking seven-year-old boy on Vancouver Island
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. — Conservation officers have shot and killed a cougar believed to have attacked and injured a seven-year-old boy on Vancouver Island.
The cougar was tracked following the Wednesday evening attack at a campsite near Sproat Lake, about 15 kilometres northwest of Port Alberni, B.C.
Officials say the big cat was found not far from the site of the incident, and was destroyed.
There’s no indication, yet, why it might have attacked the youngster.
The boy and his father were walking along a riverbank just before 8:30 Wednesday evening when the cougar pounced, biting the boy on his head and shoulder.
The father chased the animal away, the youngster was treated for injuries in a nearby hospital and is expected to be okay.
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