Colorado jogger fends off, kills mountain lion on rural trail

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

ENVIRONMENT FEBRUARY 5, 2019 / 4:19 AM / UPDATED 17 MINUTES AGO

Colorado jogger fends off, kills mountain lion on rural trail

Keith Coffman
2 MIN READ

DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado jogger fought off a mountain lion in the foothills of Horsetooth Mountain on Monday, suffering severe bites before he killed the wild animal in self-defense, authorities said.

The man, who was not identified, was jogging on a trail on the West Ridge of the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, a mountain park about 66 miles northwest of Denver, officials said.

A juvenile mountain lion attacked him from behind, biting and clawing the man’s face, back, legs and arms, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources said in a joint release, late on Monday.

It was not disclosed how the jogger killed the animal, and no one from the CPW or the Larimer DNR was available for comment early Tuesday.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-colorado-lion-attack/colorado-jogger-fends-off-kills-mountain-lion-on-rural-trail-idUSKCN1PU0UA

[Adrahil]

1. Dayum!

Runner had a knife or gun mebbe? A cougar will normally back off if you put up a good fight. No way I go in the sticks out west without a good knife or gun.... cougars and bears will eat my slow ass!

[Nay]

6. A local report says he strangled it. nt

[honest.abe]

13. Yeah that would be my guess.

First instinct would be to grab the creature by the throat to keep his teeth away from you then squeeze like your life depended on it... which it would. I think this is like one of those situations where you gain "super human" strength in a life or death crisis.

[Adrahil]

14. Wow.... respeck!!!! NT

[hlthe2b]

2. He did what he had to do and I'm glad he is ok, but I can't help still feeling badly about this...

A female jogger from Boulder was tragically killed on a trail several years ago. Jogging is such a incitement to them.... Sadly there is no error as we encroach more on mountain lion territory.

[ProudLib72]

9. Have you read The Beast in the Garden?

I read it a few years ago, and it was very enlightening. It discusses our encroachment on their habitat and the consequences.

Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beast-Garden-Predators-Suburban-America/dp/0393326349

[hlthe2b]

12. No, I haven't... but I will.

thanks for the tip.

I am so in awe of mountain lions. Simply beautiful, majestic animals. I had a mild scare a few years back with my dog on a trail in Golden. Park rangers rode up to us in a hurry and told us one had been spotted less than a quarter mile away and headed towards us. We rapidly left, but I did get a small glimpse as we exited the trail. It was my fault as it was far to late in the afternoon to be on the trail even though not yet sundown.

I always have pepper spray with me and the large mega bear spray when on more remote trails. I know several avid hikers who've come up against a bear and the bear spray did work--at least for the one who had to use it. Mountain lions would be a much more risky prospect, given their stealth and quickness. .

[Hortensis]

3. Wow. NPR 1 hour ago said the "juvenile" may weigh

80 pounds. Though the jogger was quoted, it still doesn't describe just how he managed to save his life.

It's easy to see how jogging through a creature's territory could incite attack. I feel bad for this unfortunate mountain lion also.

[malaise]

4. Now that's a brave man

Nice

[MontanaMama]

5. Lions can be so sneaky!

I was turkey hunting in a walk-in wilderness area with my husband when I was 8 months pregnant...we were in a blind of sticks and branches behind our decoys when a lion began stalking our decoys. I waved my arms at it and it ran away...or so we thought. At dusk, we hiked out to the trailhead where our vehicle was parked. A friend of ours had a turkey tag for the same area and went in the next day and told us that that lion’s tracks had followed ours from the top of the mountain where we had first seen it all the way to the parking area...we never knew we were being followed.

😳

[triron]

7. Whoa! I think I would have been on the losing end of that one.

Saw a mountain lion while jogging in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque
but it just looked at me and wandered off.

[nmgaucho]

10. Hi triron, I'm in Sandia Park

Have hiked all over the Sandias but have never seen one. I knew a guy that was hiking up on the crest and saw two lying on the trail in front of him. Just like your experience they just got up and wandered off.

[triron]

15. This happened on the upper faulty.

[Devil Child]

8. Good work on surviving Mr. Jogger

Rest in Peace Mr. Mountain Lion.

[ecstatic]

11. I stopped jogging outdoors about 10 years ago when I saw a stray dog.

I can't imagine encountering a mountain lion! Wow! I'm glad the guy was able to defend himself! I assume he had pepper spray or something to turn the tables?