Zach Bromley was seven years old and building a fort in his backyard. It was a Friday afternoon in late March. Lake Cowichan, British Columbia. A juvenile cougar stood at the fence, staring at him.
"I was sitting right there in my fort that I made and then the cougar was like right at the fence already," Zach said later. "It started to go close and it opened its mouth at me so I started to run."
The Chase
As Zach bolted toward the house, the cougar got its neck stuck in the fence. That gave the boy seconds to get closer. Closer to where his mother might hear him. Then it got unstuck, jumped the fence, and caught up.
The cougar clamped its jaws around his head. His sweatshirt hood provided thin protection. Zach curled up. "Kind of tucked up like an egg," he recalled. He screamed. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"
What Chelsea Did
Chelsea Lockhart was inside doing household chores when she heard the scuffling. She ran to the backyard. A juvenile male cougar was over her son. It was attached to his arm, trying to drag him away.
"I had a mom instinct, right?" she said later. "I just leaped on it and tried to pry its mouth open."
She fish-hooked the cougar by the mouth. Forced the jaws apart. Got her son free.
The Aftermath
Zach sustained injuries to his neck and arms. A four-centimeter gash on his head. He was expected to make a full recovery.
British Columbia Conservation Officers found two juvenile cougars about 20 yards from the family's home. Both were hungry. Both were learning to hunt without the guidance of a mother. Both were euthanized after the attack.
Investigators said it's very uncommon for cougars to attack humans. These young animals were figuring out how to survive. They chose wrong.
Zach still remembers being curled up like an egg. Chelsea still remembers the feel of prying open those jaws. Some instincts don't need to be taught.