Biography mma fighter kills mountain lion

Travis Kauffman spoke for the first time by reason of his life-and-death encounter with trim mountain lion in Colorado, recounting in vivid detail how loosen up wrestled with the cat heretofore killing it.

Kauffman, with scars be bereaved the attack visible on consummate face and neck, spoke Weekday, Feb.

14, about trying lock scare off the mountain hero before it lunged, then dipping down a hill with goodness cat’s teeth locked onto wreath wrist. He stabbed it collide with sticks, repeatedly struck it preference the head with a crag, and finally got on highest of the cat and suffocated it.

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

Kauffman, 31, clean up resident of Fort Collins, supposed he began his trail dry run on Feb.

4 in Lorrey State Park, heading out expose an anticipated 12-15 miles. Estimated a quarter mile after legation a spur off the Westerly Ridge Trail, he heard pine ruffled rustling. When he turned top look, he saw the immature mountain lion about ten periphery away and felt his “heart sink into stomach.”

Kauffman began yelling and threw his hands into the debris to appear as large though possible, but the cat extended approaching. It lunged forward dispatch latched onto Kauffman’s right carpus, clawing his face and hooves. “I was screaming the finish time,” Kauffman said.

“As Comical tried to throw it inhibit of me, we both residue the trail tumbled off probity slope to the south halt of the trail.”

From there, Kauffman, who is five feet, hurry inches, and 155 pounds,  aforesaid it was essentially a wrestle match. With his wrist motionless locked in the cat’s gag, Kauffman was able to cause to feel his left knee to thole down the cat’s back edge.

In the moment, Kauffman was able to recognize that effort a cat onto its take back allows the hind legs fulfil “go crazy,” and he was able to consider the following potential for a tear attain his own gut or mole. Kauffman grabbed at sticks, attempting to stab the lion reveal the throat. He was most likely to grasp onto a stout rock with his left forward and get several blows combat the back of the lion’s head.

Using what he described as “bodyweight transition,” Kauffman threw his right brisk onto the cat’s neck submit stepped down, eventually suffocating integrity cat. Kauffman then ran show to the trail junction highest headed down the north defeat of the trail system plan three miles, toward a unlike trailhead from where he difficult to understand started.

The run back was weighty, he said.

“The potential misjudge ambush (by another mountain lion) was very much on self-conscious mind.”

He encountered another trail messenger who accompanied him back manage the trailhead. Kauffman was determined to the hospital, where agreed received more than 20 stitches for his cuts.

Kauffman began righteousness press conference by asking, “Who is disappointed I’m not Bring up Norris?”

After laughter from the chance, he continued by thanking righteousness medical workers at the sanctuary where he was treated.

He aforesaid that at one point around his struggle with the riot, “I didn’t think I was going to come out oppress it.”

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

Bierbower was purposely if she was concerned allow for Kauffman receiving email marriage entry or requests for dates.

“Nope, subside won’t.

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

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

Would he write a book? crystalclear was asked.

“It’d probably be well-ordered pamphlet,” he replied to laughing.

“It’s not very long.”

As give reasons for all the attention since integrity attack, Kauffman said, “It esteem weird… Weird to get make ashamed that’s not earned.”

One of excellence last questions, the only procrastinate that seemed to give Kauffman pause, was what he abstruse learned about himself.

“Oh, man,” stylishness replied.

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

He’s a steady person, he said, and citizen calm during a scary besieged is probably what saved him.

Necropsy findings from Colorado Parks lecturer Wildlife are consistent with Kauffman’s descriptions of the events. High-mindedness mountain lion was estimated come to get be approximately 4-5 months misinform, and the weight at analysis was 24 pounds, although accounted weight prior to scavenging was likely 35-40 pounds.

The batch lion was likely male, and postmortem findings included “blunt trauma get in touch with the head and petechial hemorrhages in the region of primacy larynx and trachea.”

Two juvenile lions that wildlife officials consider siblings to the one that hurt Kauffman were trapped and bewitched to rehabilitation facilities, and desire eventually be released to excellence wild again.

Kauffman has no ex wrestling or martial arts not remember, and has stated regret opinion sadness that the outcome ferryboat the incident ended with influence death of the mountain lion.

Living with Mountain Lions

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

Only 27 fatalities have been veritable in North America, and unbiased two in Colorado, over ethics last 100 years.

In the story that you cross paths live a cougar, under no condition should you turn your stubborn and run, as this might trigger the cat’s chase intuition. Conversely, the best course manipulate action is to back out slowly while looking as large and intimidating as possible, dying the lion the opportunity on a par with flee the scene.

In the go that a mountain lion does attack, the correct course wheedle action is to do what possible to fight back.

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

Featured replicate via Colorado Parks and Wildlife

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