Nine-year-old girl fights cougar while camping, survives attack

A nine-year-old girl bravely survived a cougar attack by fighting the animal tooth and nail at a campground in Washington on Friday.

The girl, named Lily A. Kryzhanivskyy, was playing hide-and-seek with two of her friends close to the camping area in Stevens County when the incident occurred.

According to a statement released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the girl had jumped out to surprise her friends when a cougar attacked her out of nowhere. But that did not stop the little girl from fighting back and potentially saving her friends from the animal who rushed to get help for their friend.

Kryzhanivskyy was later found covered in blood with multiple injuries to her head and upper body. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is undergoing treatment. The 9-year-old was in a coma until Monday morning.

"We are extremely relieved that Lily is showing definite signs of recovery and that her spirit seems to be good. She asked us to let people know that she is okay and she is 'tough and brave.' And we completely agree –– she is tough and brave!" Staci Lehman of the WDFW told PEOPLE.

Cougars do not usually attack humans since the big cats like to keep to themselves. The state of Washington has had only two fatal cougar attacks on humans in the last century, per a report in The Independent.

"In this instance, this little girl did nothing wrong. It happened so quickly, and there's nothing she could have done to prevent it," added Lehman.

The wildlife experts suggest that people should not try to run in case of cougar attacks. Instead, they should yell at the animal and try to make themselves look bigger than they actually are to scare the animal off.

Meanwhile, her family has started a GoFundMe campaign for her treatment. The campaign has managed to raise more than $70,000 to cover Lily's medical expenses and her mother's time off from work.