In what could be an unusual icident, a runner in United States’ Colorado fought back and killed an 80-pound mountain lion that attacked him while on a nature trail.
According to reports, he was mauled by a ‘juvenile’ mountain lion as he was running Monday on the West Ridge Trail at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, a 2,700-acre park with hiking and biking trails not far from Fort Collins.
The lion bit the man on his face and wrist who is hospitalised with serious injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
“The runner did everything he could to save his life,” Mark Leslie, northeast region manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said later in the statement.
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“In the event of a lion attack, you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did.”
Officials said that the man stated he heard a noise behind him while he was running Monday afternoon and, when he turned around to see what it was, the lion “lunged” at him, causing serious injuries.
Ty Petersburg, area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said in the statement “the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner,” though, it’s unclear what the runner did to survive. He then got himself to an emergency room, officials said.
A spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.