You’ll Never Believe How This Runner Survived A Mountain Lion Attack

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Many people run outside for exercise and recreation, and they’re typically not worrying about wild animal attacks while on the trail. One runner in Horsetooth Mountain Park, located near Fort Collins, CO, wasn’t so lucky. How he survived an encounter with a mountain lion is as simple as it is astounding.

The runner, whose identity has not been revealed, choked the mountain lion to death with his bare hands. That’s right — without any weapons, this runner managed to avoid a mountain lion attack that was threatening his life.

According to many leading outlets, the man was running in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space when he heard the sound of something following behind him. The moment he turned back to look, an 80-pound mountain lion overtook him. Although the lion left the runner with lacerations to his face and wrist, he managed to loosen himself from its grip and strangle the lion with his bare hands. Miraculously, the runner won.

Even more impressive is that the runner was able to hike to a nearby hospital for treatment, and none of his injuries are life-threatening. His outcome is certainly a lucky one for such an unlucky event, and his experience is a reminder that, in the face of extreme danger, humans can be incredibly resourceful.

As Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s wildlife manager, Ty Petersburg, told the Denver TV station KUSA, the runner did everything advised in the event of an encounter such as this.

“He put his hands in the air, made a lot of noise and stood his ground,” Petersburg told USA Today. “At that point, it was kind of a fight for survival between him and [the] lion.”