Man kills attacking cougar with pocket knife

[Roger Ma]

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) -- A 61-year-old man was seriously slashed in a battle with a cougar in British Columbia, but managed to kill the animal with his pocket knife, officials said.

The 100-pound cat leaped on Dave Parker from behind Thursday evening as he walked down a road a mile south of Port Alice, a village on Vancouver Island about 230 miles north of Victoria.

Conservation officer Ken Fujino said Parker was being mauled by the adult male but was able to reach his 3-inch knife. Port Alice Mayor Larry Pepper added Parker then slit its throat.

Despite extensive wounds, Parker managed to walk about a mile for help.

He underwent surgery Friday at Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital and was listed in stable condition, said spokeswoman Lianne Peterson.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Jeff Flindall said police found Parker's knife next to the dead cougar.

Vancouver Island has the highest concentration of cougars in British Columbia. Officials said there have been 16 cougar attacks on Vancouver Island since 1970, including three deaths.

The last fatal attack occurred in August 1996 when a 36-year-old woman died while fighting off a cougar that mauled her son.

 

[psy-ops]

great story!

should have posted this on wilderness skill.


imagine just a 3" pocket knife. I would rather have my machete.

 

[Manji]

although im happy for the guy i hope this story does not demonize cougars or similar animals in the area and provoke a killing spree. I mean hell WE are invading their home thats why they are attacking, probably out of desperation for food since WE took over their hunting grouds. Dunno, but everytime i hear a story about animal attacks i tend to feel more for the animals cause hell WE'RE the ones that screwed them over. peace

 

[calyth]

Sorry roger.. there is at least one thread in community and one in the Canadian forum.
And I saw a commentary made after the article by someone on the Vancouver Sun site saying

Big deal, the cougar was about 100 lbs under weight. I guess it would be like fighting off a house cat. This is to people like Jim the accountant, get a life man is raping the environment for profit and Canada is the worst. To bad the cougar did not come out on top.

I told him to say that again when his neck is in the cougar's mouth.

 

[Roger Ma]

Yeah, with so many forums, I guess I could have conceivably done a search to see if this was posted, but since it wasn't in the general discussion, which is the one I always go to anyway, I figured there must be other lazy folk like me....