A few weeks ago, my news feed was flooded with headlines
suck as, “Man Fights off Mountain Lion with Bare Hands” and, “Man Survives
Mountain Lion Attack by killing it with His Bare Hands.”
The incredible story
of how Travis Kaufman managed to survive a mountain lion attack seems to have
many people asking themselves, “Am I going to get attacked by a mountain lion?”
The Short answer: probably not.
Travis Kaufman’s story takes place at Horsetooth Mountain,
a popular recreation area outside of Fort Collins, Colorado, where I went to
College. I grew up in a Mountain Town in Colorado, where we literally shared
out back yard with mountain lions. Many
of our friends and neighbors lost their pets to mountain lions, mountain lions
stored their kills under people’s porches or on the roof of their homes, and
you could often hear them “Calling” at night. I know it sounds like the place
was crawling with lions, to the point that they were almost a nuisance, but the
fact of the matter is, that Mountain lions do not really want anything to do
with us. During my eighteen years of
living in the mountains, I only saw one Mountain lion EVER, as it dashed in
front of my car.
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| NDOW |
That being said, it is still important to use caution when
spending time outdoors in Mountain Lion country. One of the first things you can do to
decrease your chance of a mountain Lion encounter is to get your activates in before
dusk. Mountain Lions are nocturnal
animals, meaning they do most of their hunting at night, during the daytime,
mountain lions are happy to spend most of their time in their den,
significantly decreasing the likelihood that you will encounter one. There is
safety in numbers, avoid walking or hiking alone and make noise. If the
Mountain lion can hear you coming, it most likely will not stick around to see
what the commotion is about. If you are
adventuring with little ones, keep them close. Unfortunately, small children
(and pets) look like prey to mountain lions and are more likely to be attacked.
If you do encounter a mountain lion, do everything you can
to make yourself look bigger, and less like prey. Raise your arms/ walking
stick over your head, pull your jacket open, and use a loud stern voice.
Mountain lions will typically avoid confrontation, so make sure you provide
them with an escape route. DO NOT RUN! If you run, or crouch, you will look
like prey to the lion and they will be more likely to pounce or chase after
you.
If you spot a wild animal appreciate it from a far, never
approach an animal. If you spot a mountain lion, before it notices you, it is
still best to leave the area. In the extremely unlikely event that a mountain
lion attacks you, channel your inner Travis Kaufman, and fight back!
-Happy Trails!
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