ABC4 Utah

Cougar attacks hiker on Millcreek Canyon trail

MILLCREEK, Utah (ABC4) – A cougar attacked a woman who was hiking with her friend in Millcreek Canyon Monday morning, according to the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Officials say the two were hiking on the pipeline trail around 8:30 a.m. when they went around a corner of the trail and saw a cougar.

Their presence reportedly startled the cougar, and when the women tried to back away, one slipped and fell backwards.

Upon falling, the cougar reportedly leapt at her and left two puncture wounds in her right leg.

The woman’s friend then hit the cougar with a pair of rocks, officials say, and the cougar left the trail.

They were then able to leave the area.

One of the shoes that the women were wearing was reportedly left on the trail during the incident.

The women called 911, and medical responders came and treated the woman that had contact with the cougar.

The woman’s injuries are non-life-threatening and she is in stable condition, officials say.

Biologists and conservation officers arrived to the scene, located the cougar involved and euthanized as a policy for harming a person.

The cougar is reportedly being tested for rabies as a precaution for the woman.

“It is quite rare for a cougar to attack a human,” Division of Wildlife Resources Public Information Officer Faith Jolley stated.

For more information, including safety tips for encountering wildlife, please visit wildawareutah.org.