Golden Retriever Saves Hikers From Mountain Lion

DenverChannel News ^ | 2.5.04

[ambrose]

Golden Retriever Saves Hikers From Mountain Lion Friendly 'Stanley' Charges Until Mountain Lion Climbs Up Tree

POSTED: 8:08 AM MST February 5, 2004

UPDATED: 8:56 AM MST February 5, 2004

LYONS, Colo. -- A trusty golden retriever named Stanley is being hailed a hero after saving his owner and her friend from a mountain lion.

The two women were hiking with their dogs off Highway 7 in Lyons last week when a mountain lion approached. They had noticed tracks in the area but they thought the tracks were old until Betsy Burton spotted an animal out of the corner of her eye.

"I turned to my left and he was right there. About 4 to 6 feet, kind of to the left of me, but behind me. It was this absolutely gorgeous mountain lion," Burton said. "At first I really didn't get it. I saw him and I thought, 'How beautiful.'"

Then the lion spotted Burton and Cindy Kaylan. They say it crouched down and began to growl.

"The lion just kept staring at Betsy and it just seemed like he was going to come after her," Kaylan said. "I felt like running but I knew that wasn't the right thing to do."

Burton then yelled at Kaylan to find a big branch and hold it above her head to make her appear larger.

"You know, that made me act big. We just kept screaming," said Kaylan, who owns Stanley.

"Then all of a sudden Stanley just charged at him, and the mountain lion ran up a tree about 30 feet away," Kaylan said.

They could hear the lion roaring at the dog from the tree.

"About a minute later Stanley came (back). We thought Stanley would be dead or completely bloody but Stanley was fine," Burton said. "What is good about that is Stanley, being as brave as he is, gave us time to do what we're suppose to do."

The Department of Wildlife is monitoring the area. It estimates that the mountain lion the woman confronted weighs about 150 pounds.

A local wildlife expert recommends anyone who wants to hike in mountain lion territory to carry bear Mace. It sprays up to 30 feet and scares the lions long enough for a person to get away.

[RobRoy]

In honor of stanley, I will swear off Vietnamese food for a week...

[Sunsong]

"No, but my point was about the pack-hunting, where they gang up on a much larger animal than themselves in order to bring it down."

Yeah, I understand what your were explaining. I had just been fed some wild stories about wolves and wondered if you had ever heard anything like that. I had a wolf-dog for seven years and there were a few times when we were hiking that we came across other dogs fighting and he would instinctively want to join in and help defeat the weaker dog. I stopped him, of course, but I saw that trait of "ganging up" in those experiences.

[Cold Heart]

Both bear mace and a gun make a good combination. The bear mace works good in an established campsite when a bear or cougar (or drunk) visits your picinic table.

When I first started trail riding I observed other horse riders packing sidearms and really wondered what the heck their horse would do if they torched one off. I found out what an inexperienced horse would do when I started in the cowboy mounted shooting. My horse went nuts. Took three years of not giving up to where he actually likes the sport.
I feel much better now about packing a side arm when riding the trails but know in the back of my mind it will be a real shootin rodeo if I have to use it on an attacking cat.

[Calamari]

good boy!

[blackbart.223]

I have a golden lab. He is loyal to a fault and I trust him more than most people I've met.

[Mr.Atos]

No argument from me, but you'll get one from Muslims.

Figures! Perhaps it explains who might be poisoning dogs in Portland parks, being that this is an Al Quaeda hot zone.

Is there anything they DO like? Man has two best friends and they denigrate them both.

[Salamander]

Rhodesian Ridgebacks eat -African- lions just for fun....:)

[iowamomforfreedom]

Man's Best Friend Ping

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!

[Siamese Princess]

You face them, and you fight back. You would probably lose if the cat fought back....but they won't. Their very survival prohibits them from encountering injury. Though you would lose...you would most likely be able to injure them. Once they realize that you will not run, and that you are not just going to roll over, they are outta there....ask Stanley.

As a life-long cat owner (though of the domestic cat variety) I can tell you that all cats hate to be stared at and will never attack if stared down. If you confront a mountain lion, or another great cat, stare straight in its eyes, stand as tall as you can, make noise, but NEVER EVER turn your head away, much less run. The cat can easily outrun you and in fact simply running away will ignite its chase instinct even if it was not inclined to pursue you in the first place. It's comparable to me dragging a string along the floor for my cat to chase.

[oceanperch]

Sunshine on the Oregon Coast
Address:http://community-2.webtv.net/YaquinaBay/doc/

and here


It's A Boy
Address:http://community-2.webtv.net/YaquinaBay/LangleyPortar/

[general_re]

Oh, I see. No, a big elk or a moose is waaaay too big for anything less than a full pack of at least 20-25 wolves. A single wolf or a pair of wolves would never even attempt to attack something that large on their own - the risk of injury or death is too high. Even when the full pack tries to take out a big moose, it's not at all unusual for one or more of them to be seriously injured or killed - møøse, as they say, can be pretty nåstï ;)

[cynicom]

Dog is smarter than his owner. He carries big teeth as a weapon. She has nothing.

[VadeRetro]

There are little bells in their "products of elimination".

First you advise people to wear the little bells and carry pepper spray. Then you get into the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat. Black bear supposedly tends to contain acorns and berries. Grizzly bear contains little bells and smells like pepper.

[VadeRetro]

They look like they'd be a handful. Had a neighbor with a pair of mastiffs that in dim light looked like a couple of black bears. I suspect he wasn't much bothered with marauding critters of any sort.

[CathyRyan]

My cat woke me up to let me know the freezer door was up and my dog woke me up to tell me the refrigerate door was open. Does that count? I have got to stop eating in my sleep. :)

[litehaus]

The difference tween your dog n your cat? If you were switched in size, your dog would still lick you and wag its tail....The cat would try to eat you............

[Mr.Atos]

Rhodesian Ridgebacks eat -African- lions just for fun....:)

Absolutely! Great breed!... my second favorite.

[Mr.Atos]

And then there is always this...

It's the ultimate versatile pack acoutrement and equalizer when you cannot pack fur nor heat.