Cougar chases runner for 6 minutes in Utah (video)

This was the perfect time for a new strava record.

That was boring. It wasn't a mother it was a juvenile. He took six minutes to film when ge should have picked up a rock, which he eventually did. Then the kitty ran like hell.

Dont like running wrote:

that was a small baby lion . not much bigeer than a big house cat. ?

Probably 8 years out of high school and still has eligibility somehow.

boring wrote:

That was boring. It wasn't a mother it was a juvenile. He took six minutes to film when ge should have picked up a rock, which he eventually did. Then the kitty ran like hell.

The first few seconds it's a juvenile, then the momma comes out for the rest of the video.

It would have been a lot more boring if he chased it off right away.

What's with the Debbie Downers here?

Was the guy being chased shooting the video? If so, he wasn't that scared.

elephino wrote:

What's with the Debbie Downers here?

It's letsrun.

Everyone is a mountain lion expert and have survived multiple attacks fighting off big animals with their bare hands.

I'm Australian, so don't know much about Mountain Lions. She doesn't look very big, but I thought they were quite dangerous, especially if they get hold of you and go for the neck?

zed wrote:

I'm Australian, so don't know much about Mountain Lions. She doesn't look very big, but I thought they were quite dangerous, especially if they get hold of you and go for the neck?

oh, it could have easily killed him and all the noodle necked weenies on here talking tough like they know anything at all

Yup. It doesn't take a big mountain lion to kill a person. Runner dude did the right thing. He didn't turn his back on the animal, which is often when they attack. He didn't run, which can incite a response to chase. Mountain lions go for the head and neck. Their teeth and claws can slice the jugular.

Just flip the Lion over a scratch his tummy .

They grab you with front paws and then use the hind legs/paws to rip through your abdomen, eviscerating you. Every time that cat charged him it made the hair stand up on my arms. F.

elephino wrote:

How cool is that! It's my dream to see a cougar in the wild.

I've been in that situation twice, once while trail running, another while rock climbing. You do NOT want to partake, believe me. The worst part is doing things like standing your ground and yelling, which would easily cause a bear or deer to startle and run, may have no effect at first. I had to deal with a large male cat from 6-10 feet away for at least ten minutes. The second time I was above on a rock wall and it did startle and flee.

They are not large in bulk, but are pure lithe muscle with rapier-sharp claws and teeth. They can easily eviscerate you if they decide to jump on you. Not turning away is the most crucial element of defense.

I'm pretty sure I didn't cuss, but I think I was a lot louder, yelled for help in case anyone else was nearby, and stood my ground and kept eye contact, throwing rocks near it but deliberately not hitting it.

zed wrote:

I'm Australian, so don't know much about Mountain Lions. She doesn't look very big, but I thought they were quite dangerous, especially if they get hold of you and go for the neck?

Theyre 70 or 80 pounds or so, so yeah, not big compared to the really big cats like lions and tigers. But they still have long claws and long teeth, things we lack to fight back with. I would say the average fit person has a chance fighting back against a mountain lion if you see it coming, but the odds aren't great. If the only weapons available are rocks, his best bet was probably exactly what he did. If it charged him anyway, your only real hope might be to try bashing it with a big rock right when it reaches you. If that fails, your next best bet might be to try to choke it, but you're definitely getting severely injured in the process if you succeed.

Wow, I just googled it, and apparently some males have actually been measured over 200 pounds. They're bigger than I thought.

This one is only about half the size of a normal one, still pretty big

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkO7be9Dn2c&ab_channel=Beastly

For the record - what this person did is NOT what you should do if you encounter a cougar. She was "escorting" him away, because he got too close to her cubs. She had no interest in attacking or killing him, she just wanted to get him away. Notice how quickly she runs away when he finally acts aggressive? If he had made himself big and loud, and thrown objects at the cougar she would have run away at the beginning, instead of after six minutes.

Here is a good breakdown on what one should do in this situation on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1315856091821948929

insectcurious wrote:

Wow, I just googled it, and apparently some males have actually been measured over 200 pounds. They're bigger than I thought.

You were right both times. An adult female can be 70 lbs up to about 120 lbs. Males can be much bigger.

In true Gen Z / Millennial style, dude has to film the encounter for posting on social media later. As I watched this, I am thinking "Put the damned phone in your pocket, use your arms and voice to make yourself more intimidating to the cat, and look for opportunities to pick up some rocks!"

Nope. Keep filming away. This guy has no real sense of survival. Just get that awesome content! Cripes, if this were D-Day or Gettysburg, these kids would forget their rifles and charge into the breach with their iPhones hoping to get famous on Instagram or YouTube.

Common Sense Actions wrote:

For the record - what this person did is NOT what you should do if you encounter a cougar. She was "escorting" him away, because he got too close to her cubs. She had no interest in attacking or killing him, she just wanted to get him away. Notice how quickly she runs away when he finally acts aggressive? If he had made himself big and loud, and thrown objects at the cougar she would have run away at the beginning, instead of after six minutes.

Here is a good breakdown on what one should do in this situation on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1315856091821948929

That guy is spot on in his analysis. I didn't bend down for a rock until it had moved away somewhat (6 ft to 30ft) and I was yelling like a madman with my hands raised, not giving an inch.