Cougar Confronts Hiker On Tiger Mountain Trail

ISSAQUAH

A Seattle woman confronted by a cougar while hiking on Tiger Mountain east of Issaquah yesterday did the right thing when she kicked the big cat and hit it on the head with a stick to drive it away, says a wildlife official.

Amanda Nichols told Issaquah police she was returning from the summit to a parking lot when she saw the cougar crouching by the side of the trail late in the afternoon. She said she jumped up and down and then kicked at it when it approached.

She used a stick to fend it off, hitting it on the head. The cougar, which Nichols described as about the size of a Rottweiler, then slinked off into the woods.

Cougars and bears are commonly seen by hikers on Tiger Mountain, says Tim Waters of the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

"It would not be unheard of for a cougar to attack a person, but it is unlikely," he said. "Typically, they shy away from humans. (Nichols) was right in being aggressive."