Cougar runs past girl: 'She was afraid it was going to eat her'
FALL CREEK, Ore. -- Neighbors along Jasper-Lowell Road are being cautious after a cougar ran past a teen girl waiting for the school bus Thursday morning, not far from where a dead cougar was found last year.
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"The cat went between her and this little pile of wood and he was at a dead run," said Scott Hartman, who was driving down Jasper-Lowell Road when he spotted the cougar. He said the cat ran across the street in front of his truck, went past the girl and disappered into the woods.
Hartman was driving down Jasper-Lowell Road Thursday morning when a cougar ran in front of his log truck, less than one mile east of the Fall Creek Market.
He stopped the truck to wait with the girl, a student at Lowell Junior High School, until the bus came, worried the cougar would return.
"She could hardly even talk," said Hartman. "She kept saying she was afraid it was going to eat her. That was the first thing on my mind."
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Leonard Ablieter plans to keep his young daughter in their backyard, rather than let her explore the acre lot behind their home, after learning about the sighting from a neighbor.
"I like that because I like her to gain her independence, but now I am probably not going to let her up by herself for awhile."
Two of Ablieter's chickens disappeared last month. Now he believes a cougar may have nabbed them.
Brian Wolfer, a wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the body of a cougar was found not far from the area last year.
"In our rural areas we do have a healthy cougar population, they do sometimes get seen and get near people," said Wofford. "When they're around during daylight hours, or around residences that is something that causes concern. But it does happen given the number of cougars and the number of rural residences that are around here."
Wolfer said parents should talk to their children about what to do if they encounter a cougar:
- Don't run.
- Make eye contact with the cat and back away slowly.
- Try to make yourself look bigger by raising your arms, jacket or backpack above your head.
To protect pets or livestock, Wolfer recommends putting them inside a barn or coop at night. Outdoor lighting can also be a deterrent.
