A horse attacked by a cougar near Swallows Nest Rock south of Clarkston is expected to recover.
The attack, which happened Saturday, was confirmed by Scott Rasley, wildlife conflict biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Judging by its footprints, Rasley said the cougar is likely a yearling and probably didn't fare well in the fight.
"Just judging by where the bite marks were, I'd bet that cat got its butt kicked pretty good," he said.
The horse, Skipper, suffered bite marks on the inside of its thigh near its groin and scratch marks to its side and face. Rasley said Skipper probably kicked violently during the attack and might have injured or at least scared the cougar.
"I would be willing to bet that cat is off somewhere else realizing he made a mistake getting ahold of the horse," Rasley said.
The horse belongs to Terry Rudd of Clarkston. Rudd's son, Mark Rudd, said the cougar did return and leave tracks a few nights following the attack, but the family hasn't seen any tracks for the past few days.
He said the horse, which was treated by a veterinarian, is eating but still isn't relaxed.
"The horse is in shock," he said.
Rasley was unable to locate the cougar. He set up a trail camera near the corral, but it hadn't yielded any pictures of the cougar as of Thursday. Because the area is surrounded by homes, Rasley said it wasn't possible to use hounds to try to find the cougar. If it returns and causes problems, he said a live trap would be deployed in an effort to catch it.
Washington's wildlife regulations allow people to shoot cougars and other predators if they are in the act of attacking livestock, pets or people.
"If you see it attacking your horse you can shoot the cougar as long as, if you are in the city limits, you abide by city ordinances, but that is easier said than done," he said. "These things usually take place in the middle of the night."
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