Video: West Olympia neighborhood on cougar watch

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OLYMPIA - West Olympia residents are being warned to keep an eye on young children and pets after two sightings of a cougar were reported early Monday morning.

The Olympia Police Department says the initial sighting was in a brushy area near Cooper Point Rd. and Mall Loop Dr. with another sighting reported shortly thereafter near Cooper Point and Mud Bay Rd.

Angela Newell saw the animal walking just feet in front of her in the West Olympia Safeway parking lot.

"At first I thought it was a dog… and then I was like… that doesn't look like a dog," she said. "I was just standing here… and I'm like… please don't see me… please don't see me," she said.

Last Friday, less than a mile away, what may have been another cougar jumped over and through three backyard fences.

The owners of the home frantically called 911.

A team from the Department of Fish and Wildlife was called out but they couldn't find the cat.

Fish and Wildlife officials say while cougar attacks are rare, sightings are on the rise.

"As the animals are losing their habitat they're coming into urban areas and there's a conflict of humans and animals because of it," said Sgt. Eric Anderson Washington State Fish and Wildlife.

Developers are clear cutting trees in the area, and the Safeway is next to a wetland protection area.

Anderson said cougars are shy animals.

AP

The Department of Fish and Wildlife says cougar encounters are rare.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time they're scared of humans. They don't want anything to do with us," he said.

Police say for several days it would be prudent for residents to keep a very close eye on younger children and pets when they are outdoors and to avoid going into wooded areas.

Park users are also advised to use caution around the wooded parts of Yauger Park and Grass Lake Park - particularly on the trails in Grass Lake Park. Confirmed cougar sightings should be reported to 911.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife offers the following advice if you come in contact with a cougar:

- Stop, pick up small children immediately, and don't run. Running and rapid movements may trigger an attack. Remember, at close range, a cougar's instinct is to chase.

- Face the cougar. Talk to it firmly while slowly backing away. Always leave the animal an escape route.

- Try to appear larger than the cougar. Get above it (e.g., step up onto a rock or stump). If wearing a jacket, hold it open to further increase your apparent size. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder to appear intimidating.

- Do not take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.

- Never approach the cougar, especially if it is near a kill or with kittens, and never offer it food.

- If the cougar does not flee, be more assertive. If it shows signs of aggression (crouches with ears back, teeth bared, hissing, tail twitching, and hind feet pumping in preparation to jump), shout, wave your arms and throw anything you have available (water bottle, book, backpack). The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.

- If the cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks, and clothing-even bare hands. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake. Pepper spray in the cougar's face is also effective in the extreme unlikelihood of a close encounter with a cougar. "