Watch: Hiker turns around, sees charging cougar, has seconds to react
Hiker coming face-to-face with an aggressive mountain lion acts on "primal instinct" to thwart an attack on a trail near Los Angeles.
Dutch Faro was hiking near Pyramid Lake north of Los Angeles recently when he caught movement in his peripheral vision, prompting him to turn around. When he did, he came face-to-face with a charging mountain lion.
“When I turned around and really got a look at it, I could tell it was a … cougar,” Faro told the Sacramento Bee.
With seconds to react, Faro yelled “hey” and then acted on “primal instinct.”
“I went back thousands of years and just let out a caveman roar,” he told the Bee. “I’m glad it worked; I could have been in the hospital right now.”
At first, he thought it might be a dog running off leash but reality set in quickly. Once he stood his ground and roared, the cougar hurried for cover.
Faro told NBC Los Angeles he believes it was a mountain lion cub and he worried the mother was nearby.
“People are asking me, ‘did your life flash before your eyes?’” Faro told the Bee. “I didn’t have time for my life to flash before my eyes — I had to think on my feet.”
And think fast. He did the right thing in stopping and standing his round.
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has several tips to help keep you safe in lion country, among them are:
Do not hike, bike, or jog alone. Stay alert on trails. Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk, and at night. Keep a close watch on small children. Off leash dogs on trails are at increased risk of becoming prey for a mountain lion. Never approach a mountain lion. Give them an escape route. DO NOT RUN. Stay calm. Running may trigger chase, catch and kill response. Do not turn your back. Face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms, or opening your jacket if wearing one; throw rocks or other objects. Pick up small children. Do not crouch down or bend over. Squatting puts you in a vulnerable position of appearing much like a 4-legged prey animal. Be vocal; however, speak calmly and do not use high pitched tones or high pitch screams. If a lion attacks, fight back. Research on mountain lion attacks suggests that many potential victims have fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, garden tools, even an ink pen or bare hands. Try to stay on your feet. If knocked down, try to protect head and neck.