A man running on West Ridge Trail at Horsetooth Mountain Park in Fort Collins killed an attacking mountain lion in self-defense Monday afternoon, according to a release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The man, whose name and place of residence have not been released, told authorities he heard something behind him on the trail and as he turned he was attacked. He said he was bitten on his face and wrist but was able to fight and break free from the lion. While defending himself, he killed the lion. The man sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries.
“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 and Wildlife Northeast Region manager.
After the attack, he was able to hike out to safety and drove himself to a hospital, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. His injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening.
Wildlife officers found the mountain lion dead near where the incident took place while looking for items the runner asked them to look for along on the trail.
Authorities have not said how the runner killed the animal, but CPW said the runner did not have a weapon.
Nick Clark is an avid ultrarunner from Fort Collins who ran to the top of Horsetooth Rock earlier in the day Monday. He lives near the Larimer County-managed open space and said he’s probably run in the park a “couple thousand times” without seeing a mountain lion, though he has seen their tracks and deer they have killed.
“I honestly never think about being attacked by a mountain lion up there,” he said. “We joke about it but maybe we shouldn’t. We talk about how 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. They scare the crap out of me.”
While mountain lion attacks are extremely rare in Colorado, the last two fatal attacks have occurred in Larimer County, according to CPW spokeswoman Rebecca Ferrell.
The agency said the attack on the runner was likely triggered by the animal’s hunting instincts. Wildlife offices said mountain lions will often instinctively try to chase and attack fast-moving animals, including humans.
However, mountain lion attacks on people are rare, with fewer than 20 fatalities in North America in more than 100 years, according to CPW. Since 1990, Colorado has had 16 injuries as a result of mountain lion attacks, and three fatalities.
How to tell if it’s a mountain lion
Mountain lions, also known as cougars, are much bigger than bobcats or the vast majority of household pets: 5 to 7 feet from nose to tail tip for females, 6 to 8 feet for males, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation. Their tails measure almost one-third the length of their bodies. They are generally tan all over, but mountain lion kittens have spots. You can distinguish mountain lion kittens from bobcats by tail length — bobcats have very short tails.
Obviously, you shouldn’t get close enough to a mountain lion to measure it, so another way to tell if you spotted a mountain lion is to inspect visible tracks in the area. A cougar’s paw print has a distinctive “M” shape, with three lobes on the bottom compared to two lobes on a dog’s paw print.
How to keep yourself and your pets safe
CPW provided the following tips on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion:
- Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
- Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly and firmly to it. Move slowly and never turn your back on it.
- Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.
- Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you’re wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won’t panic and run.
- If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. What you want to do is convince the lion you are not prey and that you may in fact be a danger to the lion.
- 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. Remain standing or try to get back up!
- As for keeping your pets safe, keep them on a leash. Don’t feed your pets outside, and keep them indoors at night if you can. If you keep your pet outdoors, a kennel with a secure top is a good idea because mountain lions can climb fences.
How to report a sighting
If you think you saw a mountain lion in an urban or unsafe area, report the sighting to CPW’s Regional Office (not the Humane Society). Reporting sightings helps CPW determine an animal’s whereabouts and what, if anything, to do about it.
Cougars generally avoid people in pursuit of deer, but if a mountain lion in an area seems to pose a threat to people or livestock, CPW might intervene.