Officials believe they've killed cougar responsible for fatal attack

ZIGZAG, Ore. – Wildlife officials are relatively sure they killed the cougar responsible for fatally attacking a woman.

The body of 55-year-old year Diana Bober was discovered on September 10 off a trail on Mount Hood. Bober was reported missing back in late August.

Eventually, investigators determined Bober was killed by a cougar. This made it the first ever confirmed cougar attack in Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Forestry began searching for the cougar. On September 14, a cougar was killed in the area where Bober died.

“It is highly probable that the cougar that killed Diana is the one that we killed last week,” said Derek Broman, ODFW carnivore coordinator.

Officials explained female cougars like the one killed typically have a home range of about 20 to 30 square miles. No other cougars were detected in the 78-square miles surveilled by ODFW.

The area will continue to be monitored.

The body of the cougar was sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Forensics Lab in Ashland for DNA testing. However, the evidence was too contaminated for the cougar to be directly tied to the attack of Bober.

“It is impossible to determine why the cougar attacked Diana. There is no sign that it was sick or unhealthy and a rabies test was negative,” Broman explained. “Wildlife behavior is unpredictable but cougar attacks are extremely rare throughout the Western U.S. where cougars are found.”

“While cougar attacks are extremely rare, there are steps you can take to further minimize your risk in the outdoors, or if you live in areas where there are cougars,” Broman continued. “Please take the time to review those tips by viewing the Cougar sighting sign and Living with Cougars page.”