Having been shut-in for the better part of two years, many people are busting out into nature to reclaim their essence.
Whether it’s for a hearty day hike or a week-long loop, seasoned trail trekkers often recommend pairing up — especially when weaving deep into the conifers. Pet parents wanting company without conversation may invite their four-legged fam to tag along.
A hunky canine can deter unwelcome encounters with wild animals, but not always. Last weekend, one dog valiantly foiled a cougar attack on her human.
Erin Wilson and Eva, her two-and-a-half year old Belgian Malinois, were snaking along a path near Trinity River in Big Bar, California, when a cougar pounced on Wilson, scratching her shoulder through her jacket. The 55-pound Eva jumped the lion. The animals tussled for a moment until the cougar clamped Eva’s head in its mouth.
Wilson tried to pry the cougar loose by throwing rocks and sticks, choking it and gouging its eyes, but it held on. Flustered, Wilson dashed to her pick-up, grabbed a tire iron and flagged down a passing car. Sharon Houston pulled over, snatched a PVC pipe and pepper spray from her trunk and joined Wilson to help her dog. By then, the cougar had dragged Eva off the path. The two women beat the cougar. When Houston discharged pepper spray in the cougar’s face, it released Eva and ran off.
Eva suffered two skull fractures, a punctured sinus cavity, and damage to her left eye. She also had seizures and was transported to the vet, but has since stabilized. Wilson called Eva “my hero” on the GoFundMe page she launched to help pay for Eva’s medical bills. In an Instagram post last Monday, Wilson reported that Eva is well on the road to recovery.
“I will never be able to live up to how amazing and loyal she is to me,” Wilson told the Sacramento Bee.
Wildlife officials collected DNA samples from Eva’s wounds and hope to trap the cougar to collect its DNA. If the samples match, the cougar could be euthanized, relocated or moved to a zoo, officials said.
Dogs regularly swoop in like caped crusaders when their humans are assailed on the trails. Four years ago, in a rocky outcrop above San Bernardino, California, a cougar blindsided a hiker. Seconds after it bit Dave Mullican and shredded the back of his shirt his Belgian Malinois, Chaos, sprang upon the cougar, throttled him by the neck and then treed him.
“All that adrenaline left and I literally collapsed and started petting my dog and telling him how much I loved him,” Mullican, a dog trainer, told Dogumentary TV.
“He put his life on the line for me,” Mullican continued. “I didn’t survive a mountain lion attack, I was rescued from a mountain lion attack by my dog,”
Cougars normally shy away from humans so attacks are rare. If confronted, the best response is to stand tall, shout or blow a whistle and make yourself appear large, wildlife experts say. Give the cougar a ramp to retreat; never corner it or look directly into its eyes. When attacked, it’s no holds barred.
Surely, the family dog will have your back.