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9-year-old girl attacked by a cougar joins biologist on cougar capture in northeast Washington

This week Lily Kryzhanivskyy joined Bart George, a Kalispel Tribal biologist on a cougar capture in northeast Washington. The capture was part of George's multi-year study looking at the most effective ways to scare cougars away from humans. (Courtesy photo)
By Eli Francovich elif@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508
This week Lily Kryzhanivskyy joined Bart George, a Kalispel Tribal biologist on a cougar capture in northeast Washington. The capture was part of George's multi-year study looking at the most effective ways to scare cougars away from humans. (Courtesy photo)

A 9-year-old girl who was attacked by a cougar in May in northeast Washington is out of the hospital and facing her fears. The girl, Lily, was playing hide and seek near Fruitland, Wash. when a cougar pounced on her sending her to the hospital where she received more than 400 stiches. 

This week Lily Kryzhanivskyy joined Bart George, a Kalispel Tribal biologist on a cougar capture in northeast Washington. The capture was part of George’s multi-year study looking at the most effective ways to scare cougars away from humans.

According to a Stevens County Sheriff’s office post George and other northeast houndsman had been in touch with Kryzhanivskyy’s family and “invited Lily to accompany them to remove the collar from a cougar they had been studying.” The cougar was then released back into the woods. 

Lily’s father, Yuri Kryzhanivskyy, said the family wasn’t ready for a full interview but he did write in a text that “Lilly had a blast (and so did we!).”