Concur. This is what startles me most about this story.
A few years ago, we were hiking alone in a State Historical Park in the afternoon when we saw one of the Park Rangers leaving. I asked the Ranger if it was safe to be hiking alone as long as we stayed on the path.
She said "Actually we have had several sightings and reports from hikers of a female cougar walking along the path in the past few weeks."
"If you see it, don't run and don't stoop down for any reason. That's what deer and rabbits do before they try to run away from the cougar. Keep your kids close to you."
"In fact, it would be good to carry a big stick with you. Forget looking for one after you spot the cougar - it's too late."
"Just try to 'look big' by waving your arms in the air and by keeping your kids close to you. She'll probably leave you alone."
Despite the Ranger's "probably" we hiked up hill on the path for about another 10 minutes then sanity overcame my bravery and we hightailed it back down the trail to safety.
On another occasion I asked another Ranger in a different park if cougars generally were considered not very dangerous especially if you leave them alone. He replied:
"Cougars are lions, carnivores, just as dangerous as those lions found in other countries, although they are much smaller. The average cougar can take a 130 pound deer in its mouth over a 7 foot fence. If a cougar is hungry, a 130 pound or smaller sized human is equally vulnerable, although not a cougar's typical meal choice. Cougars are rarely seen, but that doesn't mean that they are not in the bushes watching."
This cougar attack tonight could serve as an important reminder for those who may still feel completely safe on hikes in the wilderness or who may still feel that a cougar would never leap out of the bushes at them.
I love wildlife and respect wildlife as much as I respect other wonders of nature. I also think that it's perfectly okay to give the creatures an extremely wide berth.
These people in today's attack were on bikes, probably going a lot faster than the average hiker. I've been on long walking hikes since the two quasi-warnings I heard from the Rangers. I hiked in the heart of cougar country, carrying no sticks, no big rocks and with the idea that it could never happen to me. Shudder.