Posted on 04/14/2005 11:06:09 AM PDT by neverdem
CALGARY -- Peter Bysterveld is alive to tell his tale of survival from a terrifying cougar attack, thanks to sharp instincts and sheer strength. The 23-year-old SAIT student wrestled the feline and flung it through the air after a failed attempt to escape from it in Kananaskis Country Saturday.
"I hit a muddy patch and fell on my stomach, and then I turned around and grabbed its feet, gave it a toss and picked up a stick and started yelling at it," Bysterveld said yesterday.
Bysterveld and his girlfriend were on the last leg of a long hike in K-Country's Sheep River Wildlife Sanctuary when they came face-to-face with two young-looking cougars.
The animals were sitting among trees some seven metres ahead on the popular hiking trail about 20 km west of Turner Valley. One cat turned around, looked his way and lunged in his direction.
With nothing to fight with, Bysterveld felt his only option was to run, which would also distract the cougar from his girlfriend, who watched in horror from behind a tree.
Then Bysterveld fell.
The cat, about the size of a large domestic dog, bit into his calf. Bysterveld responded by taking the cat by its legs and tossing it about five metres.
It got up to come back at him, but Bysterveld had grabbed a stick and yelled at it.
The cat then sauntered off into a gully and the injured Bysterveld - covered in scratches on his arms and a bite to his leg - made it back to safety.
"I think being bigger helped, and I think he was shocked that I picked him up and threw him," said Bysterveld.
Fish and wildlife crews were looking for the offending cat yesterday.
"And what does 'Tiddles' do?"
"She flies across the room and lands in a bucket of water!"
"By herself?"
"No, I fling her!"
Thank you Monty Python!
Real helpful girlfriend too - hiding behind a tree while he is being attacked. They shouldn't have kids.
Darwin didn't quite win this round...
HAHAHAHA thanks for bringing that up. Lets extend that to women who don't take out the garbage or mow the lawns. They shouldn't have kids either.
Sounds like he ran off an left his girl friend there to me, but I could be reading it wrong.
Should have a rifle and/or a dog. I always do when hiking in the wilderness and mountainous areas of Idaho...bear or cougar can ruin an afternoon.
A mountain lion ate your homework, hmmm?
The hairless pink apes don't taste as good as the deer.
Very lucky the cat was small enough to fight off.
I bet PETA sics the ACLU on this animal hater. Couldn't he see that it was just his time to be eaten? He's gone and upset the entire balance of nature. Probably boosted global warming too by burning all those calories molesting that poor cat.
Armed in a Canadian wildlife sanctuary? Can you do that?
John Mellencamp is trying to sell albums again?
I don't know, but it sounds like a good place to be conscious about self-defense, preferably with at least a respectable handgun. If nothing else, I'd be carrying some deadfall to use as a club or staff.
He was unarmed because he was in CANADA! They frown on that sort of thing there. Someone might get hurt!
But you're 100% right . . . I wouldn't be comfortable without a gun in a place like that and I'd definitely be looking to quickly make a nice stout "walking stick" out of some tree limb with the biggest bowie knife I could smuggle into the place.
"With nothing to fight with, Bysterveld felt his only option was to run, which would also distract the cougar from his girlfriend,"
Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. I was distracting it away from my girlfriend.
I don't watch much tv but I did see a Sienfeld where George ran out of an apartment where there was a stovetop fire, trampling women children and the disabled. "Somebody had to take control and lead the way."
I also take out the trash, but I don't have a picture of that. I do have a picture of me working on my car...
I can't imagine myself hiding behind a tree...I gotta think I'd at least be looking around for something to knock the snot out of it. I once saw a rat in my chicken coop the size of a small possum and I stuck a garden fork through it before I could stop myself! Heh!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.