A hiker in Utah encountered a cougar on the trail, which started to follow him and make threatening gestures. The hiker recorded the incident. After six minutes of yelling at the relentless wildcat, he picked up a rock and tossed it, which caused the ferocious feline to turn tail and retreat.
From The New York Times:
Debra Chase, chief executive of the Mountain Lion Foundation, noted that mountain lions are ambush hunters that try to stay out of sight when they are stalking. She said that Mr. Burgess had done the right thing by backing away, speaking loudly and not running but that baby animals should not be approached in the wild.
"She clearly did not view him as prey," Ms. Chase said in a statement. "The behavior was meant to chase him away, which it did very well. The mother lion was reacting to a perceived threat to her young."
"We need to counter the idea that mountain lions are naturally dangerous to humans," she said.
With about 15 seconds left in the video, the camera jerks. Mr. Burgess said in the interview that he felt as if there was enough distance for him to bend down and grab a rock, which he lobbed at the cat.
