Man’s Best Friend: Watch This Loyal Pooch Protect Its Owner from a Snarling Mountain Lion

It may be hard to work out where your sympathies lie in this clip. It was filmed in the mountain lion’s territory in which both the dog and human were encroaching. So, it is only fair that it is acting in a defensive way. On the other hand, the dog is merely protecting its owner and reacting to an animal that it probably has not encountered before and is therefore very wary of! The human is trying to protect both himself and the dog by scaring off the mountain lion. Scroll down to watch the full video and make your own mind up.

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Mountain Lion Attacks on Dogs

Mountain lions are powerful animals with sharp teeth and claws who are perfectly capable of causing nasty injuries to dogs. There have been several press reports of mountain lions attacking pet dogs. This includes one spate of attacks in Colorado where over an eight-month period a total of 23 dogs had either disappeared or been killed or attacked by mountain lions. The situation had become so intense that a mountain lion had grabbed a 100-pound Doberman. Another dog that went missing was a 90-pound Bernese mountain dog mix. Other mountain lions were even stalking dogs on leashes. Mountain lions are known to be able to study patterns of behavior in other animals and tailor their stalking activity accordingly.

Usually, mountain lions are shy and reclusive and there are various theories about why some of them become dog killers. It could be an expansion of human infrastructure into their territories or a lack of their natural prey due to humans hunting animals such as deer. Other possibilities are that it is connected to a harsh winter or that the lions involved are sick.

What to Do if You See a Mountain Lion

Mountain lions are wild animals and whilst attacks on humans are rare, they can happen. The official advice is that you should remain calm if you spot a mountain lion.

Stay upright while facing the lion and slowly back away. There is a long list of what you should not do! Do not approach it but do not run away either. That may trigger their ‘chase’ instinct and make you a target!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Kwadrat/Shutterstock.com