Colorado Jogger Fights Off Mountain Lion After Trail Attack, Reports Reuters

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) – A jogger in Colorado successfully fought off a juvenile mountain lion that attacked him while he was running in the foothills of Horsetooth Mountain, northwest of Denver, as part of a self-defense effort, authorities reported on Tuesday.

The unidentified man survived the intense encounter in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, a park located less than 70 miles from Denver.

While running on a trail, the juvenile cougar ambushed him from behind, inflicting bites and scratches to his face, back, legs, and arms, according to a joint statement from state and local officials released on Monday.

In the course of the struggle, the man managed to strangle the mountain lion using only his bare hands, said Rebecca Ferrell, a spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, during a phone conversation on Tuesday.

"There was quite a bit of wrestling involved, and the cat did grab onto his arm, but he was able to choke it," she explained.

The exact size of the cougar remains unknown, as other animals had consumed parts of the carcass before wildlife officers could arrive. However, it is believed to have been a male.

Officials confirmed that the runner was transported to a hospital where he was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The remaining parts of the animal were discovered near the trail, where the jogger had left some of his belongings, and were sent to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife lab for examination.

" The runner did everything he could to save his life," commented Mark Leslie, the Northeast Regional Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "In the event of a lion attack, you need to do anything in your power to fight back, just like this individual did."

Over the past century, mountain lion attacks have resulted in fewer than 20 fatalities in the United States. Since 1990, there have been 16 confirmed attacks in Colorado, according to officials.

"Mountain lion attacks are relatively rare in Colorado, and it is unfortunate that the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner," stated Ty Petersburg, an area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "This situation could have had a very different outcome."