Agencies warn of cougars following fatal attack on cyclist

Local and federal agencies are warning residents in western Washington and central Oregon to be on the lookout for cougars.

The Bend Bulletin reports the Sunriver Police Department and the Bureau of Land Management both issued warnings Saturday after sightings of the animal were reported in Sunriver and a cougar attacked cyclists in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle.

The cougar attack resulted in the death of one cyclist. It was the first time a cougar had killed someone in Washington in 94 years.

While there is no record of a wild cougar killing a human in Oregon, population growth in the state has brought more humans into contact with the big cats.

Cougars are the largest species of cat found in Oregon.