By Tim Binnall
A man jogging along a wilderness trail in Colorado was forced to kill a mountain lion in self-defense when the ferocious feline attacked him. The unnamed individual reportedly encountered the creature during a run through the state's Horsetooth Mountain Park on Monday. According to what the man told authorities, his workout was interrupted when the mountain lion pounced on him from behind and bit him on the face and wrist.
Amazingly, the jogger managed to fend off the attack and freed himself from the monstrous maw of the big cat. It would appear, however, that the mountain lion was not finished with the man as the two engaged in a battle which ultimately ended when the jogger somehow suffocated the creature and killed it. The body of the animal was later recovered when officials ventured out to the scene to investigate the frightening incident.
Wildlife officials say that the downed creature appeared to be a juvenile mountain lion weighing approximately 80 pounds. They now plan to test the animal's remains to see if perhaps a sickness or injury could have been what caused the big cat to attack the man. As for the jogger, he's now recovering from the encounter at a local hospital although it is said that his injuries are not life-threatening.