Canada rugby sevens captain Olivia Apps is back with the team after being treated for a cougar bite in a B.C. provincial park.
Rugby Canada confirmed the attack and said the 25-year-old from Lindsay, Ont., “was treated in hospital shortly after for a minor injury and was able to return to training with the national team immediately following the incident.”
It did not provide further details.
CHEK News reported that Apps was bitten last weekend while hiking on Elk River Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park with another woman and their off-leash dogs. During their hike, the cougar also attacked one of their two dogs but fled when bear-sprayed.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) confirmed to CHEK News that the hikers and their dogs were airlifted out of the area. Following their investigation, COS categorized the attack as defensive and stated no further action would be taken, as reported by CHEK News.
British Columbia’s Environment Ministry confirmed that signage indicating cougar sightings and activity had been posted in the area prior to the attack.
Elk River Trail has since been closed to the public and B.C. Parks has installed additional signage.
Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest park in British Columbia. Located almost in the centre of Vancouver Island, it is described as a “rugged mountain wilderness comprising of more than 250,000 hectares.”
Apps, who also plays Scrum Half for the Canadian 15s side, is back training with the sevens team at its home base of Langford, B.C., ahead of the Paris Olympics.