9-year-old girl survives rare cougar attack in Washington

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A cougar attacked a 9-year-old girl who was playing hide-and-seek at a church camp in Washington state, seriously wounding her.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says Lily A. Kryzhanivskyy and two other children were playing in the woods Saturday at the camp near the small town of Fruitland. She jumped out to surprise her friends when the cougar attacked.

The girl fought back while her friends ran for their lives.

Adults rushed to help and found the girl covered in blood. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she had surgery for multiple wounds to her head and upper body.

The wildlife agency says Lily was released from the intensive care unit Monday and remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Others found the young male cougar and killed it.

Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman says cougar attacks are rare, with only two fatalities in the last century in Washington state.

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