GF&P closes lion attack case

Agency: Attack 'probable but unconfirmed'

By Ryan Woodard, Journal staff | Wednesday, April 02, 2008

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Unless more information comes to light, the state department of Game, Fish & Parks is closing the books on last month's reported lion attack by calling it "probable but unconfirmed."

GF&P regional supervisor Mike Kintigh said the apparent credibility of Ryan Hughes, who reported the attack, makes it perplexing that no evidence can be found to confirm it.

"I wish I could come up with some explanations," Kintigh said. "I don't have any."

Kintigh said Hughes, a 33-year-old resident of Rapid City, doesn't appear to be lying about the attack.

"I still find him very credible and very believable," Kintigh said. "I found no indication in his statements or mannerisms that he was being deceptive."

Hughes told GF&P officials he was attacked by a cougar Saturday, March 1, while standing on the shoreline of Sheridan Lake near where he was ice fishing.

Hughes said the cat jumped on him, scratched him as he struggled with it, and then took off. Hughes was then treated for puncture wounds and lacerations on his right arm and hand, as well as his face, and he received rabies shots.

But after the attack, GF&P officials were unable to find lion tracks, blood, fur or other evidence the struggle had occurred. And a pack of GF&P hounds could not pick up a lion scent in the area.

Since that time, GF&P officials have interviewed Hughes numerous times and have performed numerous tests in an attempt to confirm the report, including trying to find lion hairs on Hughes' clothing.

GF&P initially sent individual hairs from Hughes' clothing to a South Dakota State University lab for testing, and then sent his entire coat in to the lab. But no lion hairs were found.

"I'm a little surprised that there wasn't at least hair found," Kintigh said.

He said the fact that other hairs were found, both from Hughes' dog and a hat Hughes was wearing, makes him wonder why none of the lion hairs stuck.

"With the presence of all those other hairs on his coat, I really don't have a plausible (explanation)," he said.

Kintigh said it might be possible that the lion hairs flew off Hughes' coat as he drove his four-wheeler from the scene of the accident. But he thinks the hair likely would have transferred to Hughes' coat.

Kintigh said he is also confused about why the dogs were not able to come up with a scent after being led to the scene because the dogs have been so dependable in the past.

"We caught lions with the dogs before this happened with Ryan, and we've caught lions with the dogs after it's happened," he said, referring to the dogs picking up the scent of the lion that was chased through Rapid City and killed near Boston's Restaurant last week.

Hughes didn't immediately respond to an interview request Tuesday afternoon from the Rapid City Journal.

In a previous interview, Hughes told the Journal he was puzzled and annoyed that some people continued to question the attack and that he didn't understand what people thought he would have to gain by lying.

He said he was surprised that no evidence could be found of the attack, although he said GF&P didn't initially search the right area.

Kintigh said the GF&P would re-open the case if additional evidence came up that would merit doing so.

"I don't know what else might come up that we might look into," he said.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com