Travis Kauffman responds to questions during a news conference Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, in Fort Collins, Colo., about his encounter with a mountain lion while running a trail just west of Fort Collins last week. Kaufman's girlfriend, Annie Bierbower, looks on. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Latest on a Colorado mountain lion attack (all times local):
2:45 p.m.
A Colorado man who survived a mountain lion attack says he knew he had to do something drastic when the young cat's jaws stayed clamped on his wrist as he pounded its head with a rock.
Travis Kauffman said Thursday that he got one foot onto the cat's neck and held it there as the animal thrashed. Eventually the animal stopped moving, and Kauffman pulled out his arm and scrambled away.
Kauffman told reporters that he also tried stabbing the animal with twigs, but nothing worked until he stepped on its neck.
He said the mountain lion "finally stopped moving and then the jaws opened, and I was able to kind of scramble back up the hill and get the heck out of Dodge."
Wildlife officers said their investigation and a necropsy confirmed Kauffman's version of the Feb. 4 attack.
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2:30 p.m.
A Colorado runner who survived an attack by a young mountain lion said he feared for his life before he was able to kill the animal.
Travis Kauffman said Thursday that he was afraid the cat's full-grown mother was nearby and would jump in to defend her offspring. No other mountain lions appeared.
Kauffman says his fear quickly gave way to a fight response. He says he wrestled the cat to the ground and jammed his foot onto its neck to suffocate it.
He spoke with reporters after wildlife officials released a video of Kauffman recounting the ordeal. It's the first time he spoke publicly about the Feb. 4 attack.
Wildlife officers said their investigation and a necropsy confirmed Kauffman's version.
Kauffman said he plans to run again in the mountains west of Fort Collins but with a buddy.
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2:10 p.m.
A Colorado runner who survived a mountain lion attack says he wrestled the young animal to the ground and jammed his foot onto its neck to suffocate it to death.
Travis Kauffman says the lion locked its jaws on his wrist and was clawing his face and arms during the Feb. 4 attack in the mountains west of Fort Collins.
His remarks came in a video interview with state wildlife officials released Thursday.
Kauffman says he heard a rustling noise behind him, turned and saw the cat 10 feet (3 meters) away. The cat lunged and began biting and clawing him.
He says they fell to the ground, and he tried to hit the cat with a rock and stab it with twigs before getting his foot onto its neck.
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