STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. — Following the cougar attack near Fruitland on Saturday, nearby campgrounds are taking extra steps to ensure the safety of their guests.
Over the weekend, a cougar attacked nine-year-old Lily Kryzhanivskyy while at a camp near Fruitland. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said she was released from the intensive care unit on Monday. After testing over the weekend, WDFW also confirms the young male cougar tested negative for rabies and is deceased.
It is not clear where exactly the attack happened, but campgrounds in the area don't take this news lightly.
Camp Na-Bor-Lee is one of several campgrounds near Fruitland. The hosts, Susan and Steve Randel, said bears and cougars are well known residents in the area. Which is why they take wildlife sightings very seriously. Just last summer, Camp Na-Bor-Lee had two cougar sightings while guests were on site.
"It was a little bit scary," Susan said. "One of the cougars was seen not too far from here. Just right here in our campground by a seven-year-old boy. He was off playing by himself."
Susan said that incident and the cougar attack last weekend are why they talk to campers about wildlife dangers the moment they arrive.
“We just have to be very, very careful and make sure all of our campers know not to go anywhere by themselves, especially at night," Susan said. "They always need to have buddy no matter what and know how to react for their own safety.”
According to WDFW, on Saturday morning, Lily joined two other children in a game of hide and seek in the woods near the camp buildings. They said Lily jumped out to surprise her friends when the cougar suddenly attacked.
"I can't imagine what they're going through," Susan said. "How scary it must have been for them and still is."
Lily’s family is not yet ready to speak about what happened, but her father shared this statement:
“Lily is doing a bit better. At this point she's in early stages of her recovery, we're waiting for swelling to come down and it may take weeks or even months to fully understand the extent of the injuries and what follow up may be needed. But we have a team of truly great doctors and surgeons keeping a close eye on her to make sure she gets everything she needs. We're deeply grateful and moved by all the support Lily is getting from the community. We would like to thank everyone for their kindness and love, it means a world to Lily and her family. Thank you so much!”
The GoFundMe account set up in Lily's name has already raised more than $72,000.