Photo: Francis Apesteguy/Getty
A man is recovering from serious injuries after he killed a mountain lion who attacked him while he jogged through a trail in northern Colorado on Monday, according toColorado Parks and Wildlife.
In astatementdetailing the attack, the unidentified runner said he had been jogging through the foothills of Horsetooth Mountain Park when he heard a noise come from behind him. As he turned around to see what it was, a juvenile mountain lion quickly pounced and bit him on his face and wrist.
The man was able to release himself from the animal’s grasp before killing it through suffocation.
“He was able to fight and break free from the lion, killing the lion in self-defense,”the agency said.
After the attack, the man hiked back through the trail and drove himself to a local hospital. When wildlife officers searched the area later that day, they found the body of the mountain lion along with several of the runner’s items, which confirmed his story.
“The runner did everything he could to save his life. In the event of a lion attack you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region manager Mark Leslie said in the statement.
Mountain lions are also referred to as pumas or cougars.DeAgostini/Getty
The man suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover, the agencytweeted. A necropsy will be performed on the body of the animal.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife — who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment — added that mountain lion attacks are rare, with “fewer than 20 fatalities in North America in more than 100 years.” In three decades, the state has only seen 16 injuries and three fatalities as a result of cougar attacks.
If a cougar does target you, they suggest fighting it off with rocks, sticks or your bare hands. Colorado Parks and Wildlife believes the man’s running is what initially triggered the mountain lion’s attack.
source: people.com
