A juvenile Mountain Lion, weighing about 80 pounds, attacked a Colorado runner who fought back and managed to choke it to death.
The runner is being treated for wounds. The Mountain Lion was not rapid, and the attack occurred in the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space near Fort Collins.
The runner was attacked from behind, as is normal for a Mountain Lion, and the man was bitten on his face and wrist before he managed to pick up a rock and slam the animal in the head. The man then jumped on the animal’s back and choked it to death with his hands, arms, and feet.
By the time authorities found the Mountain Lion carcass, it had been partially eaten by other animals — possibly other mountain lions — which made it difficult for officials to identify the cat’s gender and precise weight.
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Wilderness old-timers will tell you that juvenile and toothless old cougars are the most dangerous. The old ones are hungry, and youngsters have not learned apprehension of humans. The usual advice on observing predatory wildlife is to make yourself large/imposing, create noise, and do not turn and run is good for most mountain lions, or cougars, as called locally.
Farmers/hunters in Lake Roosevelt area of WA State, where my dog and I hike, say that cougar populations are mushrooming, while large deer herds are rarely seen anymore. Cougar sightings in nearby towns and city suburbs alarmingly are reported more and more .
See article on cougar sightings and problems : http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/sep/27/increased-cougar-sightings-dont-necessarily-mean-i/
While game biologists believe that high profile news reports make the public mistakenly feel that danger is everywhere, I go with local reports and videos/photos. Outdoor caution and awareness of surroundings is always advised. -- TEC
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