Cougar enters Trail home, attacks resident

A cougar entered a Trail home through an open door Saturday evening and attacked a female resident inside, according to RCMP Sgt. Rob Hawton

" (At about) 8:30 p.m., Trail & Greater District RCMP received a report of a cougar attack on Glen Drive in the Sunningdale subdivision of Trail," he said. "A woman was in her house with a number of puppies when the cougar walked in through an open door and attacked her on the sofa.

"She fought the animal off with the help of her dog, which subsequently chased it out of the house.

"The woman received a couple of minor injuries to her upper leg from the animal’s claws. The cougar was gone upon police arrival and a subsequent search was not successful," he added. "Conservation was called and eventually tracked down and destroyed the animal Monday morning.

Hawton said the female cougar was very old and emaciated, and that starvation is probably what drove the attack.

"It was near death's door, which makes them bold," he said. "This is an extremely rare occurrence.