An 18-month-old boy mauled by a cougar on Vancouver Island this week is making a speedy recovery, according to his mother.
Little Julien Sylvester was attacked by a big cat at Kennedy Lake Provincial Park, east of Ucluelet, on Monday.
Even though the cougar's fangs punctured the toddler's skull in two places, Julien's mother Sarah Hagar says his recovery at BC Children's Hospital has been remarkable.
"He is doing a lot better today. He actually has been up walking around, went into the playroom, banged on a tambourine," Hagar told CTV News.
"He wants to explore the hospital right now."
Julien was on a beach outing with his grandfather, four-year-old sister, and a friend of the family when he was attacked. The two adults screamed at the animal when they saw it biting the little boy, and managed to scare it off.
"My dad's my hero today -- my father and his friend as well. They saved my son's life," Hagar said.
She says it's unlikely the family will return to the Kennedy Lake beach anytime soon, but hopes the attack doesn't deter her children from exploring the outdoors.
"I feel pretty nervous. I feel pretty scared about being outside. I hope that it doesn't [stop us from being outside] because we've enjoyed such a great life out there on the coast," she said.
A search team is still on the lookout for the animal responsible for the mauling. A Parks Canada spokesman says about a dozen people including conservation officers are in on the hunt.
Renee Wissink says snares have been set and that Wednesday's search was focused mostly in the second-growth forest and thick underbrush around the lake.
He says that if the animal isn't caught, the day-use area may be closed for the long weekend and the rest of the season.
Wissink says any cougar spotted in the area will be destroyed.
With files from The Canadian Press
