Another Cougar Reportedly Spotted in East Wenatchee

A cougar is lurking in East Wenatchee, according to the city's police department. This is not a first-time occurrence.

On August 15, an East Wenatchee house cat was reportedly mauled by two roving cougars. The cat almost certainly died, though we never received confirmation of its fate. (As for the cougars, one apparently managed to elude capture; the other, from what we gather, was killed on sight.)

Rare is the cougar that bays for human blood. But in the event of a cougar encounter, residents are encouraged to:

• Shield small children
• Resist the temptation to run; this may trigger an attack
• Be flinty; face the cougar and "talk firmly while slowly backing away"; also be sure to "leave the animal an escape route"
• Avoid crouching down, hiding, turning your back or peeling your eyes away from the cougar
• Avoid approaching the cougar

What if the headstrong creature stands its ground? The East Wenatchee PD instructs us to "be more assertive; shout, wave your arms and throw objects at the cougar to scare it away." These tactics are endorsed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

And if worst comes to worst, fight back or use bear spray to subdue a violent cougar. Pepper spray works too.

As WDFW spokesperson Becky Elder told us a few weeks ago, "The Wenatchee area is a great location for cougars moving in and out of the greenbelt because there's a lot of natural food sources for them. So we will, on occasion, see cougars going through those areas."