However, mountain lion attacks on people are rare, with fewer than 20 fatalities in North America in more than 100 years, according to CPW. Wildlife offices said mountain lions will often instinctively try to chase and attack fast-moving animals, including humans. The agency said the attack on the runner was likely triggered by the animal's hunting instincts. The mountain lion attack in Larimer happened within a mile of our Horsetooth microwave receive site that we use to send video to towers - just above the West Ridge Trail - are visible center/right in this drone aerial over the South Bay area of Horsetooth Res. "Our veterinarians will take a look to determine if there was any kind of disease, if he was maybe starving, or if it just so happens that as young cat, he was still learning his hunting instincts and unfortunately the trail runner was kind of in the right place at the right time to trigger those instincts," she said. Rebecca Ferrel with CPW said veterinarians will look at the cat's body for answers. The juvenile lion was taken to an animal health lab for a necropsy, where officials determined that the animal had indeed been suffocated. Wildlife officers returned to the area and found the animal's body "within feet of several possessions that the victim asked the officers to look for on the trail," according to CPW. He told authorities about the attack, saying he had suffocated the cat. His injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening. "In the event of a lion attack you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did."Īfter the attack, the runner was able to hike out to safety and drove himself to a hospital, CPW said. “The runner did everything he could to save his life," said Mark Leslie, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region manager. Wildlife officials said he also had puncture wounds to his arms, legs and back. The victim, whose name has not been released, suffered facial lacerations, wrist injuries and scratches from the attack. On Tuesday morning after an examination of the lion, CPW said the runner suffocated the animal while defending himself. But the man was able to fight and break free from the lion, according to CPW. The lion lunged at the runner, biting his face and wrist. ![]() ![]() The man said he heard something behind him on the trail and was attacked as he turned to investigate. A man running on West Ridge Trail at Horsetooth Mountain Park killed an attacking juvenile mountain lion by suffocating it Monday afternoon, according to a release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Ty Petersburg, a CPW area wildlife manager, said in a statement that “the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner.”įortunately, for the runner, he was able to defend himself and then get to an emergency room.FORT COLLINS, Colo. While mountain lion attacks are rare, they do occur, which means it’s important to stay vigilant if you’re in their territory. “In the event of a lion attack, you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did.”Īccording to NBC News, the mountain lion, whose body was found “within a few feet of some of the man’s possessions” attacked the runner, “biting his face and wrist and causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries.” A necropsy found that the man had suffocated the animal in order to get away, according to The Washington Post. “The runner did everything he could to save his life,” Mark Leslie, northeast region manager for CPW. The man, who has not been identified, killed the mountain lion, which Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said was a “juvenile” and weighed 80 lbs, according to The Washington Post. A Colorado trail runner is lucky to be alive after he was attacked by a mountain lion on the West Ridge Trail at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space near Fort Collins earlier this week.
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