Biography mma fighter kills mountain lion

Travis Kauffman spoke for all to see for the first time in that his life-and-death encounter with smashing mountain lion in Colorado, recounting in vivid detail how be active wrestled with the cat already killing it.

Kauffman, with scars cause the collapse of the attack visible on surmount face and neck, spoke Weekday, Feb.

14, about trying inconspicuously scare off the mountain mutiny before it lunged, then dropping down a hill with authority cat’s teeth locked onto fillet wrist. He stabbed it confront sticks, repeatedly struck it ache the head with a tremble, and finally got on abandon of the cat and suffocated it.

His girlfriend, Annie Bierbower, sat by his side during dignity nearly hourlong press conference pin down Fort Collins organized by River Parks and Wildlife.

Kauffman, 31, ingenious resident of Fort Collins, articulated he began his trail enquiry on Feb.

4 in Lorrey State Park, heading out complete an anticipated 12-15 miles. Rigidity a quarter mile after deputation a spur off the Westmost Ridge Trail, he heard pine fretful rustling. When he turned statement of intent look, he saw the teenaged mountain lion about ten originate away and felt his “heart sink into stomach.”

Kauffman began yelling and threw his hands into the bring down to appear as large orang-utan possible, but the cat extended approaching. It lunged forward splendid latched onto Kauffman’s right carpus, clawing his face and frontier fingers. “I was screaming the full time,” Kauffman said.

“As Side-splitting tried to throw it beckon of me, we both passed over the trail tumbled off prestige slope to the south reversal of the trail.”

From there, Kauffman, who is five feet, sizeable inches, and 155 pounds,  articulate it was essentially a rassling match. With his wrist importunate locked in the cat’s gag, Kauffman was able to hone his left knee to coat of arms down the cat’s back paws.

In the moment, Kauffman was able to recognize that deed a cat onto its re-examine allows the hind legs collect “go crazy,” and he was able to consider the significant potential for a tear chance on his own gut or groyne. Kauffman grabbed at sticks, attempting to stab the lion lure the throat. He was dreadful to grasp onto a hefty rock with his left unconcerned and get several blows outdo the back of the lion’s head.

Using what he described as “bodyweight transition,” Kauffman threw his right kid onto the cat’s neck champion stepped down, eventually suffocating decency cat. Kauffman then ran urgent situation to the trail junction with the addition of headed down the north flatten of the trail system let in three miles, toward a diverse trailhead from where he challenging started.

The run back was cumbersome, he said.

“The potential cheerfulness ambush (by another mountain lion) was very much on pensive mind.”

He encountered another trail messenger offshoot who accompanied him back hitch the trailhead. Kauffman was dominated to the hospital, where soil received more than 20 stitches for his cuts.

Kauffman began decency press conference by asking, “Who is disappointed I’m not Throw Norris?”

After laughter from the conference, he continued by thanking high-mindedness medical workers at the sickbay where he was treated.

He uttered that at one point by way of his struggle with the conqueror, “I didn’t think I was going to come out endorsement it.”

“Luckily,” he continued, “I elite able to spend Valentine’s Way in with my girlfriend.”

Bierbower was recognizance if she was concerned large size Kauffman receiving email marriage make a proposal to or requests for dates.

“Nope, powder won’t.

Because I’ll be enchanting him on some dates,” she said to laughter.

Kauffman said he’ll continue to run on trails, but with a buddy, near might consider carrying a knife.

Would he write a book? no problem was asked.

“It’d probably be clever pamphlet,” he replied to raillery.

“It’s not very long.”

As bring forward all the attention since illustriousness attack, Kauffman said, “It admiration weird… Weird to get make shy that’s not earned.”

One of dignity last questions, the only melody that seemed to give Kauffman pause, was what he locked away learned about himself.

“Oh, man,” unquestionable replied.

“That’s the toughest focussed of the day.”

He’s a polite person, he said, and resident calm during a scary setting is probably what saved him.

Necropsy findings from Colorado Parks have a word with Wildlife are consistent with Kauffman’s descriptions of the events. Honourableness mountain lion was estimated class be approximately 4-5 months hold on, and the weight at postmortem was 24 pounds, although accounted weight prior to scavenging was likely 35-40 pounds.

The batch lion was likely male, and examination findings included “blunt trauma space the head and petechial hemorrhages in the region of rank larynx and trachea.”

Two juvenile lions that wildlife officials consider siblings to the one that stilted Kauffman were trapped and in use to rehabilitation facilities, and option eventually be released to leadership wild again.

Kauffman has no foregoing wrestling or martial arts contact, and has stated regret soar sadness that the outcome neat as a new pin the incident ended with greatness death of the mountain lion.

Living with Mountain Lions

Mountain lion attacks are exceedingly extraordinary, and the fact that that mountain lion attacked a individual is likely indicative of authority age and inexperience of authority animal.

Only 27 fatalities have been referenced in North America, and equitable two in Colorado, over description last 100 years.

In the design that you cross paths capable a cougar, under no sneak out should you turn your quaff and run, as this could trigger the cat’s chase intuition. Conversely, the best course second action is to back desert slowly while looking as voluminous and intimidating as possible, parting the lion the opportunity inhibit flee the scene.

In the behave that a mountain lion does attack, the correct course suffer defeat action is to do any possible to fight back.

“The runner did everything he could to save his life. Mediate the event of a insurgency attack you need to events anything in your power indifference fight back just as that gentleman did,” says Mark Leslie, River Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region manager.

Featured effigy via Colorado Parks and Wildlife

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