Man Thwarts Mountain Lion with Chain Saw

Apparently Starving Cat Attacks Man During Family Camping Trip in Wyoming

(AP)  A Colorado man used a chain saw to fight off an apparently starving mountain lion that attacked him during a camping trip in northwestern Wyoming with his wife and two toddlers.

Dustin Britton, a 32-year-old mechanic and ex-Marine from Windsor, Colorado, said he was alone cutting firewood about 100 feet from his campsite in the Shoshone National Forest when he saw the 100-pound lion staring at him from some bushes.

The 6-foot tall, 170 pound Britton said he raised his chain saw and met the lion head-on as it pounced - a collision he described as feeling like a grown man running directly into him.

"It batted me three or four times with its front paws and as quick as I hit it with that saw, it just turned away," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Wildlife officials said Sunday evening's attack about near Cody was highly unusual because mountain lions are reclusive by nature. Only eight cases of mountain lions acting aggressively toward humans have been documented in Wyoming over the last decade.

"It's very, very rare" for lions to attack, said Wyoming Game and Fish spokesman Warren Mischke. "We're still trying to investigate why this lion would behave this way."

The wounded animal retreated after Britton inflicted a six-inch to eight-inch gash on the lion's shoulder, leaving him with only a small puncture wound on his forearm.

The mountain lion was shot and killed Monday after it attacked a dog brought in to track the animal, which was 4 to 5 years old. Authorities say it was in poor physical condition and appeared to be starving.

After Britton's confrontation, he and his wife, Kirsta, decided to spend the night in their pop-up camper with their two children rather than risk packing up with the lion still on the loose.

Wildlife agents were called the next morning after Britton told a passing U.S. Forest Service employee about the incident.

Tests for rabies and other diseases came up negative, but officials said they were continuing to analyze the animal for other potential diseases.

[thenicks3]

What a treat - cute or funny or clever comments and not one political card played. I LOVE IT. I too live Colorado and this certainly is not the first, nor will it be the last, time that a mountain lion has either gotten aggressive or come closer to town looking for food.

[chonder2]

I had the same encounter with a charging box turtle last week.The Last gunshot brought it down as it lept for my throat!

[willow0313]

LOL!!! What are you, a strawberry or a grape????

[DoubleHappiness88]

There are those who hunt and those of us who hunt hunters.

[docpeter1953]

At least it is a man "thwarting" a mountain lion and not a "cougar". Of course his wife and kids were with him.

[Thalia-9]

LOLOL! I had to think about that post for a sec...after all, he's 32, what's the required age difference there? 50ish?? LOLOL

[ToolMangler1]

Are you sure it wasn't a 'Puma' or 'Catamount' people get them confused all the time, LOL

[uscitizenvet]

Mountain Lions will stalk you. I remember when me and a friend were deer hunting in Montana, I was watching him from a distance returning to our vehicle and then I noticed a Mountain Lion approximately 100 yards behind him following him. Fortunately the lion didn't run to catch up and my friend made it to safety before the lion got to him.

[Thalia-9]

absolutely...the scary part is how quiet and fast they are - we have a lot in Colorado, in fact, there's a mother and her cub that prowl our lower field - and we're in town!

[Kuei1248]

The lion probbably just wanted him to stop making all that noise with the chainsaw. That's enough to drive anybody crazy.

[ToolMangler1]

I tend to agree. the cat batted him instead of ripping his face off. He got off lucky, then they went and killed the poor cat for protesting the racket..... People are 'SO' self centered. ;)