The man who strangled and killed a cougar to save his life told how the titanic struggle was

Speaking for the first time in public since the February 4th incident, he still has lacerations in his neck and face. Travis Kauffman He told reporters the heartbreaking three-minute meeting that could have ended his life.

Kauffman he said that he was running in the open space of Horsetooth Mountain, about 65 miles northwest of Denverwhen he heard the murmur of pines and He turned his head only to face a young cougar.

"I felt like seeing a mountain lion"he said at a press conference at Fort Collins, Colorado, where the environmental consultant lives with his girlfriend.

Kauffman he raised his arms and shouted to the cougarbut the animal rushed on him and bit him on the right wrist and scratched his face. Your attempts to stop the attack of the predator with sticks and hit him on the head with a stone were in vain.

Ultimately was able to hold the cougar and put his foot on his neck and drown him until he stopped breathing. During the fight, he feared another cougar would join the fight.

"My fear response has become a fighting response"said the man, even with visible injuries on his face.

Mountain lions, also known as pumas or panthers, originate from America and its range extends from the Yukon Canadian until the end South America, according to National Federation of Wildlife.

Cougar attacks in humans are rare, fewer than 20 deaths have been reported at North America over the last 100 years, according to the site Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

There is between 4,500 and 5,500 Colorado Mountains lionsand since 1990, the state has seen 16 people injured and three others killed by mountain lion attacks, the agency reported.

Kauffman, which measures 1.77 meters and weighs about 70 kilos, said to have "zero"martial arts or fight training, and acted exclusively with adrenaline."The decisions were pretty instinctive"he added.

The wounds on his face, neck, wrist and legs required more than 20 stitches. Kauffman He admitted to having had the chance to survive the attack without any permanent injuries.

"I should go buy a lot of lottery tickets"He joked.