Runner suffocates mountain lion in Colorado park attack

A trail runner recovering from a recent mountain lion attack survived by suffocating the animal, state wildlife officials in Colorado said Tuesday.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said that the unidentified runner killed the cat during a rare attack Monday afternoon at the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, west of Fort Collins.

“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 said on Twitter.

“It’s an amazing story. Everyone is baffled and impressed,” said CPW spokeswoman Rebecca Ferrell, The Denver Post reported. “He had no weapons, no knives or trekking poles with him. How did he do it? It’s pretty rare. That is definitely a twist on this, I’m sure.”

CPW said in an earlier news release announcing the incident that the runner recalled hearing something behind him on the trail prior to turning around and being attacked by a mountain lion.

“The lion lunged at the runner, biting his face and wrist,” the agency said Monday. “He was able to fight and break free from the lion, killing the lion in self-defense.”

The runner managed to flee the area and make it to a nearby hospital where he received treatment for serious but non-life threatening injuries, the agency said in the new release.

Wildlife officers sent to recover several possessions the runner left on the trail found the items near the lion’s body, according to the news release.

The animal’s remains were subsequently taken to a CPW lab for a necropsy, where preliminary tests confirmed the runner had suffocated the animal, the agency said Tuesday.

“We can let you know that the runner is doing well considering his ordeal, and will need a few days to decompress before deciding if he will speak publicly,” CPW said Tuesday. “We hope you all can appreciate and respect why he needs this time.”

Preliminary testing determined the mountain lion was less than a year old.

Several trails located in the Horsetooth Mountain and Soderberg open spaces in Larimer Countert were closed for several hours Monday while rangers and wildlife officials investigated the incident.

Steve Gibson, district manager for Larimer County’s Department of Natural Resources, said the agency would be “stepping up patrols” in the area as a safety precaution following Monday’s attack.

“Mountain lion attacks are not common in Colorado and it is unfortunate that the lion’s hunting instincts were triggered by the runner,” said Ty Petersburg, an area wildlife manager for CPW. “This could have had a very different outcome.”

“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,” added Mark Leslie, CPW northeast region manager.

Mountain lions are believed to be responsible for fewer than 100 fatalities during the last 100 years, according to CPW, including a total of three reported in Colorado since 1990.