MILLCREEK CANYON, Utah, Sept. 25, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman is recovering from injuries to her right leg following a mountain lion attack Sunday morning in Millcreek Canyon.
The woman and her friend were trail running on the Pipeline Trail about 8:35 a.m. when they “came around a corner and encountered a mountain lion also on the trail,” said Faith Heaton Jolley, spokeswoman for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The trail runners’ presence startled the cougar, Jolley said.
“The woman tried to back away on the trail as the lion leaped at her, and she slipped and fell backward. The lion’s claws left two puncture wounds in her right leg,” she said.
The other trail runner hit the mountain lion with a rock, allowing the two women to leave the area, Jolley said.
The injured woman lost a shoe on the trail during the attack but was able to hike back down the trail with the assistance of her friend and call 911, according to DWR.
The woman was later treated and released at a local medical facility, Jolley said, noting the woman’s injuries were not life-threatening.
DWR biologists and conservation officers responded to the area and used trained hounds to locate “what we feel confident is the cougar involved in the incident,” Jolley said.
Because the mountain lion injured a person, it was euthanized per DWR policy. The cougar will be tested for rabies as a precaution, Jolley said.
DWR temporarily closed the section of the Pipeline Trail while officials searched for the mountain lion. The area has since reopened, Jolley said.
“We are very glad that the woman involved in this incident is OK,” she said. “It is rare for cougars to attack people, and our biologists feel the cougar was likely just startled and not seeking to prey on the woman.”
DWR officials say mountain lions or cougars can be found throughout Utah, generally in the foothill and canyon areas, though sometimes in the valleys. Population data also indicates that their numbers have been growing steadily the past few years.
State wildlife officials shared some tips to help Utahns avoid conflicts with mountain lions:
- Do not hike or jog alone.
- Maintain awareness while hiking or jogging, and avoid using headphones that block out surroundings.
- Travel in groups and keep everyone together, including children and dogs.
- Make noise while hiking to alert mountain lions of your presence.
- Leave the area if you find a dead animal, especially deer or elk, since it could be a mountain lion kill.
- Do not leave children outside unattended in areas near deer habitat, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Install outside and motion-sensitive lighting around your property.
- Trim vegetation and remove wood piles to reduce hiding places for wildlife.
- Bring pets and livestock inside at night or secure them in a barn or kennel with a top.
DWR also offered advice for staying safe when encountering a mountain lion in Utah:
- Never run from a mountain lion, as that could trigger its instincts to chase.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Pick up children and pets, or keep them very close.
- Stand up tall; do not crouch or squat.
- Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head.
- Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area.
- Fight back if you are attacked. Protect your head and neck.
- If you are aggressive enough, the mountain lion probably will flee.
For more safety tips, visit the Wild Aware Utah website.
