Video shows cougar come within feet of Washington family in yard
MONROE, Wash. (KOMO) — Compelling home security video caught the moments a wild cougar ran into a Washington state family's yard and came within feet of several people, including a 2-month-old puppy.
The incident happened on Saturday when members of the Havener family were outside in their yard in Monroe.
As seen on video, a giant cougar ran out of nearby woods and suddenly chased after the family's two cats. Immediately afterward, the cougar can be seen coming within feet of April Havener and her young daughter, along with their puppy.
From there, the footage shows the Havener's young daughter frantically running inside the house, followed by April, who clenched the puppy in her arms.
I think it was just as shocked by seeing us as we were shocked by seeing it," April said.According to security video, the cougar then came within feet of Greg Havener, who was washing his car in the driveway. He said he initially thought the animal was a bobcat, but then he noticed how big it was.
As I came around the car, it was way bigger than I expected," he said. "It was not a bobcat. It took me a few seconds to realize, ‘This is very large. It’s a cougar.'"No one was hurt, including any of the Havener's animals.
“We all went our separate ways and left it at that," Greg Havener cracked.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, cougar attacks on humans are "extremely rare" in western Washington, but they do happen.
In February, five cyclists were attacked by a cougar while on a trail near Fall City. As a result of that attack, a 60-year-old woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries to her face, neck and jaw.
In July 2023, an 8-year-old was attacked by a cougar in Olympic National Park while camping at Lake Angeles, which is located south of Port Angeles.
The National Park Service said the cougar stopped its attack after the child’s mother screamed and yelled at the animal to scare it away. Officials said the child suffered minor injuries during the attack.
A cougar also attacked two mountain bikers near North Bend in May 2018. S.J. Brooks, then 32, was killed in the attack. The other man, 31-year-old Isaac Sederbaum, survived.
Officials said the deadly 2018 attack in the Cascade foothills was the first fatal cougar attack in Washington state in 94 years.
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