Top News
GF&P says it believes man who reported lion attack
Ryan Hughes was fishing at Sheridan Lake when he was reportedly attacked by a mountain lion.
del.icio.us
Digg
NewsVine
FarkState wildlife officials said Monday they believe a 33-year-old Rapid City man who said he was attacked by a mountain lion Saturday at Sheridan Lake, even though investigators did not find blood at the scene and trained dogs failed to locate the cat or its scent a few hours later.
“The victim, Ryan Hughes, is believable. I don’t think he’s lying to us,” state Game, Fish & Parks Department spokesman Mike Kintigh said. “I can’t explain why we’re not finding any physical evidence, or why our dogs weren’t finding scent in that area.”
Hughes told investigators he was out ice fishing on Sheridan Lake when he was attacked by an 80- to 90-pound lion at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday as he stood on the shoreline.
He suffered lacerations on his right forearm and punctures on his right hand, as well as scratches on his face. But GF&P investigators did not find any blood at the site where Hughes said he was knocked down and wrestled with the cat for five minutes. Nor did they find any recent signs of lions, including tracks or kills or “scrapes” that mark their territory.
A trained pack of GF&P hounds worked the area Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday morning without striking a scent trail. Kintigh said that was puzzling, particularly because scent conditions were excellent on Saturday -- a mild, calm day.
Hughes did not return a call from the Journal left on his cell phone Monday afternoon. He did tell investigators that he consumed four beers before the incident. But Kintigh said there was no indication that Hughes was impaired.
GF&P is tentatively calling the incident a confirmed lion attack. If that designation sticks, it will be the first known attack by a wild mountain-lion on a human in South Dakota. Kanta said there have only been about 120 such attacks in Canada and the United States in the past century. About two dozen were fatal, and most resulted in more severe injuries than Hughes suffered.
A captive lion attacked a boy in Custer State Park in 1969, after vandals released it from its cage. And a 16-year-old boy reported a mountain lion attacked him near Ramona in eastern South Dakota two years ago.
GF&P officials ended up calling the Ramona incident a “near miss,” at best. The boy, armed with a rifle, said he accidentally ran into the lion after he followed it into a farm shelterbelt. The boy said he fell down and accidentally discharged his rifle after the cat swiped at him with a paw and tore his shirt.
State trapper Jack Alexander and the GF&P dog team went to Ramona to search for the lion the next day. They located two coyotes and a house cat but no mountain lion.
On Saturday, Hughes drove himself to the emergency room at Rapid City Regional Hospital, after reporting the attack to authorities. He was treated for his wounds and given a rabies inoculation, Kintigh said.
GF&P officers did take some hairs from Hughes’ fleece and are going to test them to determine whether they are from a lion.
People living in the area or recreating in the Black Hills shouldn’t overreact to the reported attack, but they should use reasonable precautions, he said. GF&P has information on mountain lion behavior and tips on handling an encounter at its Web site, www.sdgfp.info.
Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com
The opinions above are from readers of rapidcityjournal.com and in no way represent the views of the Rapid City Journal or Lee Enterprises.
Rapidcityjournal.com provides this community forum for readers to exchange ideas and opinions on the news of the day. Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude language and personal abuse are not welcome. Moderators will monitor comments with an eye toward maintaining a high level of civility in this forum. Our comment policy explains the rules of the road for registered commenters.
If you don't see your comment, perhaps...
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy