Toddler, 18 months, attacked by cougar on Vancouver Island
CINDY E. HARNETT, Postmedia News
Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011
An 18-month-old boy attacked by a cougar in Pacific Rim National Park Monday was in serious condition in B.C. Children's Hospital Tuesday.

Julien Sylvester's mother, Sarah Hagar, was at the hospital in Vancouver with her injured son.

"The patient is in serious condition, which means he is being monitored closely," hospital spokeswoman Tracy Tang said.


Cougar attack in Kananaskis
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Font:****The attack happened at 6 p.m. Monday at Swim Beach in the Kennedy Lake day-use area of the national park, about 16 kilometres east of Ucluelet.

The family had packed up and was leaving the beach. Julien was walking three metres in front of his grandfather and an unidentified adult when the cougar leaped on the boy from a forest at the edge of the beach, Armstrong said.

The cougar was momentarily daunted by Julien's grandfather, then lunged at the boy's four-year-old sister. The cougar did not make contact with the girl, who was unharmed, Parks Canada spokeswoman Arlene Armstrong said.

"The cougar surprised them really quickly from the forested edge," Armstrong said.

The adults responded perfectly. They stopped the attack by screaming and challenging the big cat. The cougar was scared off initially but didn't run away.

The couple continued to aggressively stare and shout the cougar down, picked up both children and slowly backed away from the predatory animal while continuing to make noise.

"The family members did everything right," Armstrong said. "There's no indication the family is at fault."

The grandfather immediately "got the child to medical attention," Armstrong said.

Julien was taken to nearby Tofino hospital, then flown to B.C. Children's Hospital, where he was in the intensive care unit.

"The family is focusing all of their energy on their son's recovery and are asking the media to please respect their privacy today and in the days ahead, so they can concentrate on their son's health," Tang said in a statement.

Four officers from the Conservation Officer Service, tracking dogs, Ucluelet RCMP and West Coast Search and Rescue launched a full-scale search Monday night to track and trap the cougar.

About 20 Parks Canada staff are also involved in tracking, co-ordinating the search and communications. The search continued Tuesday.

If found, the cougar will be killed because it poses a public safety risk, according to Parks Canada.

The Kennedy Lake dayuse area of the park is closed. All other areas of the national park reserve remain open.

Monday's mauling was the first attack on a human in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve since 1984, Armstrong said. However, there have been several "significant encounters" with wolves and cougars in and around the area in recent months, she said.

A cougar recently walked through a campsite that borders the south of the park. In another incident, a wolf pack at the north end of the park, near Tofino, killed an off-leash dog, she said.

ceharnett@timescolonist.com