Washington child escapes 'serious injury' after attempted cougar attack, police say

A young child escaped "serious injury" on Saturday night when a cougar attempted an attack, police said.

The close call happened at Enchantment Park in central Washington just before dusk, Washington State Patrol (WSP) said. Officers warned the public to stay away from the area in the wake of the incident.

Fish and Wildlife officers worked throughout the night to locate the animal. They said the cougar had been captured and euthanized as of 1 a.m. Sunday.

“Young child escaped serious injury when a cougar attempted to attack. Fish & Wildlife with local agencies at the scene,” WSP Trooper John Bryant said in a tweet Saturday. “Attack happened in the hours dusk. Dogs and Fish & Wildlife attempting to trail the cougar now.”

Officers did not release many details about the incident, but ABC affiliate KOMO said the 4-year-old child escaped with only a few scratches.

The cougar did not appear to be unhealthy, but Fish and Wildlife experts said they planned to do additional testing on the animal, KOMO reported.