Richard Marriott survived an attack by a mountain lion Saturday night near Kremmling, CO fighting back by stabbing the animal with a pocket knife and throwing rocks at it, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.
Richard was reportedly attacked around 9 pm while scouting out places to hunt elk around the Big Horn Park subdivision northeast of Kremmling, reports the SkyHi News. He saw the mountain lion before it attacked him. He backed away slowly for about 200-yards until he tripped and fell and the mountain lion pounced. The cat swiped at the hunter’s legs and caused ‘super, super minor’ injuries. Meanwhile, he had a pocketknife with him and fought back by stabbing the mountain lion in the face.
Marriott said he told wildlife officers he thought the mountain lion seemed more curious than anything, but because the animal attacked a human, officers said it had to be put down.
Authorities and their hounds tracked down the mountain lion at about 7 am the next morning and killed it. Mike Porras, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the mountain lion acted especially aggressive when found and even fought with the hounds that tracked him instead of running away, which is the expected reaction.
A necropsy revealed the mountain lion had only grass in his stomach, indicating the animal was hungry.
What to do if you come face-to-face with a mountain lion:
Generally, mountain lions are calm, quiet and elusive. Although attacks are rare, they are possible. To avoid such encounters, the National Parks Service offers these tips:
- Do not hike alone. Hike in groups with adults supervising children.
- Keep children close and within your sight at all times.
If you see a mountain lion:
- Stay calm and hold your ground or back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright.
- Never approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens.
- Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal.
If the mountain lion moves acts aggressively:
- Try to appear intimidating or larger than you are by raising your arms and opening your jacket if you are wearing one. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.
- If looking bigger doesn’t scare the mountain lion off, start throwing stones, branches or whatever you can reach in its direction without crouching or turning your back.
- If the mountain lion continues to move in your direction, start throwing things at it.
- If the mountain lion attacks you, fight back.
Also, report all mountain lion sightings to wildlife officials immediately.
Source: National Parks Service
