Colorado Resident Recounts Killing Mountain Lion With His Bare Hands
A Colorado man who was forced to kill a mountain lion with his bare hands recounts his terrifying ordeal in this video, released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Thursday, February 14.
Travis Kauffman was six miles into a run west of Fort Collins on February 4, according to the Coloradan, when he was attacked by a mountain lion.
Kauffman heard some rustling in the foliage behind him during his run. “My worst fears were confirmed and my heart sunk into my stomach a little bit,” says Kauffman.
The mountain lion lunged at Kauffman and latched onto his wrist and started clawing at his body. “I was just kind of screaming the whole time, doing my barbarian yell,” said Kauffman.
From there it was a “wrestling match,” said Kauffman. “I was able to get my left knee to pin down its left legs… I was grabbing at some sticks that were close by and I was trying to stab it in the throat with some sticks.”
Eventually, Kauffman picked up a rock. “I was able to hit it in the back of the head a few times… then I used a little body weight transition and got my right leg close to my wrist and was able to finally get it on to the cat’s neck, and then I stepped on its neck and was eventually able to suffocate it.”
Kauffman suffered several injuries to his face and body as a result of the attack, but has made a full recovery. Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife via Storyful
