A trail jogger successfully defended himself Monday against a mountain lion that attacked him from behind. The cat is dead and the man is recovering in a local hospital.
The jogger, whose identity has not been released, was running alone in the foothills of the Horsetooth Mountain Park in northern Colorado, when he said he heard something behind him on the trail. As he turned to investigate, the juvenile mountain lion lunged at the runner.
The jogger said he was bitten on the face and wrist, according to the Coloradoan. But he was able to fight back, killing the young lion. The man's injuries were serious but non-life-threatening, and he was able to get himself to a local hospital.
Colorado state park officials later found the body of the juvenile mountain lion, nearby several possessions that the jogger asked officers to recover for him. The body of the big cat has been taken to a state health lab for examination. It possibly weighed at least 80 pounds, the Coloradoan said.
"In the event of a lion attack you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did," said Mark Leslie, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region manager, in a statement.
The park closed after the attack for an investigation, but reopened Monday evening, according to the Coloradoan.
The parks service said mountain lion attacks on people are rare, with fewer than 20 fatalities in more than a century. Lions are "elusive animals" that "tend to avoid humans," the parks service said. Nonetheless, if people encounter a mountain lion, they should try not to run. "Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack," the parks service said.
The parks service offered several tips for such an encounter: Face the mountain lion, stand tall, and make yourself appear larger by raising your arms and opening your jacket, if you are wearing one. Never turn your back.
"What you want to do is convince the lion you are not prey and that you may in fact be a danger to the lion," the park service said.
If the cat does attack, all is not lost, the parks service said. "People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and their bare hands successfully."
If you do have to fight, parks service recommends targeting the animal's eyes and nose.
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