Oregon Authorities Believe They Killed Cougar in Fatal Attack
Oregon officials believe they have killed the cougar that fatally mauled Diana Bober, 55, whose body was recovered Sept. 10 in Mount Hood National Forest.
It is highly probable that the cougar that killed Diana is the one that we killed last week, Derek Broman, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife carnivore coordinator, said in a statement Sept. 21.
The cougar killed Sept. 14 was detected on a trail camera at the site where the attack occurred. No other cougar has been detected on 31 cameras set up in a roughly 78-square mile area encompassing the attack site.
DNA samples from the cougar and evidence from the attack site were analyzed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Forensics Lab in Ashland, OR, but the lab was unable to extract any relevant DNA from evidence collected at the attack scene to use for a comparison to the DNA from the cougar.
It is impossible to determine why the cougar attacked Diana. There is no sign that it was sick or unhealthy and a rabies test was negative, Broman said. Wildlife behavior is unpredictable but cougar attacks are extremely rare throughout the Western U.S. where cougars are found.
Bober, an experienced hiker, had been missing since Aug. 29 and her body was recovered on Sept. 10. After a medical examination, authorities concluded that her injuries were from a cougar attack. Bober was hiking on the Hunchback Trail in Mount Hood National Forest.
More than 6,600 cougars reside in the state of Oregon and are said to cause more than 400 complaints each year. But this was the first death caused by a cougar in the state. Although this is Oregon’s first-reported cougar attack in the wild, cougars are an ongoing issues with hikers in this area.
This tragic event has shut down the trailhead that leads to the trail where the suspected attack took place until further notice.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.
Comments 2
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for sharing the story, however, in response to your verbage:
“…are said to cause more than 400 complaints each year.”
“…cougars are an ongoing issues with hikers in this area.”
We aren’t entitled to that area. This is their home. That is like saying “homeowners are an ongoing issue to robbers in this area”.
Perhaps instead of blaming the cougar or [fill in the blank with the wild animal] we should be looking at the reasons for these increased encounters. Humans aren’t the preferred diet nor do cougars even want to be around us. So if there is an uptick in encounters or “complaints” perhaps we should
A) hike and explore elsewhere or be more prepared
B) look at WHY these animals’ behavior is changing.
Just some thoughts to share from one outdoorist to another. This is first and foremost their home. We are simply visitors passing through.
Hey aaron! This article is based on facts and info I gathered through multiple credible sources. Its not an opinion piece, though I do highly agree with your logic and perspective on this topic. Thanks for reading !