A Colorado trail runner is alive thanks to his own survival instincts that prompted him to go for a mountain lion’s throat when it attacked him Monday afternoon.
The unidentified man sustained “serious, but non-life threatening injuries” in the attack and, despite his wounds from the battle, was able to run out of the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space area outside of Fort Collins, Colorado and to a nearby hospital, Deadspin reported.
The runner said he heard something in the woods near him and was suddenly attacked by the lion from behind. The animal bit his face and wrist but the man was able to break free and told Colorado Parks & Wildlife investigators that he then choked the lion to death with his bare hands in self defense.
After additional investigation, including examination of the lion, we have confirmed the victim's account that he was able to suffocate the animal while defending himself from the attack.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) February 5, 2019
A necropsy of the animal this morning confirmed that the lion was suffocated, Deadspin reported, after the body of an 80-pound mountain lion was located on the West Ridge Trail.
“The runner did everything he could to save his life,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region manager, Mark Leslie, said. “In the event of a lion attack you need to do anything in your power to fight back just as this gentleman did.”
The park was reopened last night after the investigation was concluded.
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