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A hunter has survived the attack of a cougar in Colorado by stabbing the animal in the face. Evergreen's Richard Marriott was returning from an elk-screening expedition in Kremmling's Big Horn Park, site of a week-long sighting on a cougar, when the young adult male appeared after dusk on August 10, reports Sky-Hi News. Marriott, on a trail a quarter of a mile from his vehicle, said he walked 200 meters in the back, while the cougar harassed him, sliding between the trees. "At this point, I'll say 'Oh shit, is it really happening?', The hunter said at the exit. Then he stumbled and fell. It was then that Marriott regretted not having his gun. He said that he had only one "pocket knife" without "no use", but that it worked. Marriott took a hit with his knife, hitting the curious animal in the face, while he "slid my leg".
It was enough for "the cat to know that I was not going to stay there and that he devours me," says Marriott, who has also hit the animal to the head with a stone's throw. "I'm lucky that it has not gotten worse," he adds, pointing out that he was barely scratched by one claw. The next morning, officials working with dogs found the cougar about 100 yards from the scene of the attack. Mike Porras, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, says the animal was so aggressive that he fought with the dogs rather than running away. He was then deposed. A necropsy showed that the male was healthy but probably hungry, with only grass in the belly. Porras now hopes to use this case to teach others to respond to similar situations. He added that Marriott had made every effort, especially in the face of the animal while backing slowly, as sudden movements could cause an attack. (Read more cougar stories.)
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