Jogger Kills Mountain Lion In Self-Defense on Colorado Trail A trail runner fought off a mountain lion in Colorado, sustaining serious injuries from bites before he broke free and killed the animal. The unnamed man got himself to hospital after the incident in the foothills of Horsetooth Mountain on Feb. 4, with what the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) department describe as serious, but nonlife-threatening injuries.” The jogger heard something behind him on the trail, said a CPW statement, and when he turned round to check it out, a mountain lion launched itself at him. The lion was a juvenile. “The lion lunged at the runner, biting his face and wrist,” said the CPW statement. “He was able to fight and break free from the lion, killing the lion in self-defense.” The CPW did not explain how the man was able to kill the animal, but endorsed his actions. “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,” said Mark Leslie, Colorado Parks Wildlife Northeast Region manager, in a statement. According to the CPW, fewer than 20 people have been killed by mountain lions—also known as cougars, pumas, and panthers— in North America in over 100 years. Attacks Rare Since 1990, Colorado has had 16 injuries as a result of mountain lion attacks, and three fatalities, according to the CPW. “Mountain lion attacks are not common in Colorado and it is unfortunate that the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner,” Ty Petersburg, area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement. “This could have had a very different outcome.” An ultrarunner who ran along through the area that day, Nick Clark, said he’s run in the park a “couple thousand times” without seeing a mountain lion, though he has seen deer they have killed and their tracks. “I honestly never think about being attacked by a mountain lion up there,” he told the Coloradoan. “We joke about it but maybe we shouldn’t. We talk about we never see them but we assume we are being watched. They are generally very reclusive and there is plenty of deer up there for them to prey on. I’m much more concerned about rattlesnakes up there.” Adult males can typically reach 180 pounds, and females 130 pounds. Some rare ones have topped 200 pounds. Adult males will measure 6 to 8 feet from nose to tail tip and females 5 to 7 feet. “The most recognizable feature of the American lion is its long and heavy tail, which measures almost one-third of the lion’s total length,” according to the Mountain Lion Foundation (MLF). The foundation believes the mountain lion population in the United States is unlikely to exceed 30,000. ‘We Recommend Targeting the Eyes and Nose’ “Cougars are solitary, elusive, and very stealthy,” according to the MLF website. “If a cougar is in the area and you are lucky enough to detect its presence, most often it will be due to “cougar sign” and not actually seeing the animal. These signs are evidence left behind after a cougar has passed through. Cougar signs include tracks, scat, scratches, and cached (partially buried) prey.” Those who are lucky—or unlucky—enough to have a rare encounter are advised by the CWP to stay calm, talk firmly to it, and never turn your back on the animal. “Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely,” said the CWP advice. “Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.” Never approach a lion, especially one with kittens. If the lion behaves aggressively, the advice is to throw stones, branches or whatever is to hand—but “without crouching down or turning your back. ” “Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands successfully. We recommend targeting the eyes and nose as these are sensitive areas.”<doc-sep>The man was attacked from behind and bitten by the mountain lion on Monday Colorado Jogger Suffers Serious Injuries After He Fights Off and Kills Mountain Lion 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 to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In a statement detailing 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. Get push notifications with news, features and more. 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. Cougar, Puma or Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) Mountain lions are also referred to as pumas or cougars | Credit: DeAgostini/Getty The man suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover, the agency tweeted. 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. RELATED: Woman Mauled By Bear in Montana Walks Miles to Safety With Skull Fracture If you do come face to face with one of the animals, you must do everything you can to survive, the agency said in their statement. This includes staying calm, slowly walking away without ever turning your back, and trying to make yourself appear larger by raising your hands above your head. 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.<doc-sep>After subduing the mountain lion, he was able to hike to safety and later receive medical treatment at a nearby hospital. >> Read more trending news The CPW believes that the young male was hunting and his instincts were triggered. "Mountain lion attacks are not common in Colorado and it is unfortunate that the lion's hunting instincts were triggered by the runner. This could have had a very different outcome," Ty Petersburg, area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in the statement. The body of the mountain lion was found a few feet from the trail by the CPW. The lion has been taken to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife animal health lab for a necropsy. The last mountain lion attack in Colorado was reported in June 2016 in Pitkin County. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife also provided tips in the statement if a person encounters a mountain lion:<doc-sep>A mountain lion makes its way through fresh snow in the foothills outside of Golden, Colorado, in this file photo. Photo: Reuters<doc-sep>
DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado jogger strangled a juvenile mountain lion in the foothills of Horsetooth Mountain northwest of Denver, acting in self-defense after the predator attacked him, authorities said on Tuesday. The man, who was not identified, survived the life-and-death struggle in the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, a mountain park less than 70 miles (110 km) from Denver, officials said. The man was running on a trail when the juvenile cougar attacked him from behind, biting and clawing his face, back, legs and arms, state and local officials said in a joint statement late on Monday. During the struggle, the man strangled the wild animal with his bare hands, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Rebecca Ferrell said by phone on Tuesday. “There was some wrestling going on and the cat did latch onto his arm but he was able to choke it,” she said. The size of the cougar was unclear, Ferrell said, because other animals fed on the carcass before wildlife officers arrived. But it is believed it was a male. The runner went to a hospital, officials said, with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening. Slideshow ( 2 images ) The remainder of the animal’s body was recovered near the trail, where the jogger had dropped some possessions, and taken to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife lab for a necropsy, officials said. “The runner did everything he could to save his life,” said Mark Leslie, CPW Northeast Regional Manager. “In the event of a lion attack, you need to do anything in your power to fight back, just as this gentleman did.” Mountain lion attacks have caused fewer than 20 fatalities in the United States in the past 100 years. Sixteen known attacks have occurred in Colorado since 1990, officials said. “Mountain lion attacks are not common in Colorado and it is unfortunate that the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner,” Ty Petersburg, area wildlife manager for the CPW, said in a statement. “This could have had a very different outcome.”