Mountain Lion Killed By Colorado Jogger Was Orphaned 'Kitten,' Officials Reveal

A young mountain lion that was strangled last month by a Colorado jogger the animal attacked was a 4-month-old orphan, state wildlife officials have revealed.

According to a necropsy, the young male had weighed an estimated 35 or 40 pounds. The inexperienced hunter may have been desperate for prey when he pounced on 31-year-old Travis Kauffman on a scenic trail in Fort Collins.

The mountain lion’s body, which had been partially eaten, likely by his two orphaned siblings, was recovered Feb. 4, the day of the attack.

Officials saw no trace of a mother, according to the necropsy by Colorado Parks and Wildlife veterinarians, which referred to the dead male as a “kitten,” though young mountain lions are usually called cubs.

“Mountain lions are solitary animals, only coming together for breeding,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Jason Clay told NBC News on Friday. “We had no signs of an adult female being anywhere near the scene that day, or in the following days, which is one reason why we think these kittens were orphaned.” Mountain lions are raised by their mothers alone.

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Mountain Lion Killed By Jogger After Attack During Run

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Wildlife officials say a man who fought off a young mountain lion on a northern Colorado trail killed the animal by suffocating it.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the man was running alone near Fort Collins when the lion attacked him from behind after the movement apparently triggered its hunting instincts.

The runner, whose name hasn’t been released, fought off the cougar, hiked out of the area after Monday’s attack and drove himself to a hospital. He suffered facial cuts, wrist injuries and puncture wounds to his arms, legs and back.

To read more on this story, click here: Mountain Lion Killed By Jogger After Attack During Run

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