A 21-year-old B.C. man is lucky to be alive after being attacked by a cougar near a ski resort in the province's Interior.
Conservation officers say the Sunpeaks resort employee was trying to hitchhike near the facility when the big cat started trailing him.
"He had walked from the resort about five to 10 kilometres towards town when he saw the cougar," Conservation Officer Tobe Sprado told ctvbc.ca.
The man, realizing the animal was stalking him, picked up rocks while he watched the cougar close in on him.
"His nerves got rattled and he decided his best bet was to run," Sprado said. "When he started to run the cougar pounced on him."
Sprado believes it was this response that triggered the attack.
"Typically when people run it triggers that instinct for the predator to view that person as prey."
The cat jumped on his back, but quickly took off after the man pelted it in the face with rocks.
He called his girlfriend, who then in turn alerted authorities.
The Kamloops-area resident was taken to Royal Inland Hospital, where he was interviewed by officers from the B.C. Ministry of Environment. He was released shortly afterwards, reportedly suffering nothing more than some minor neck pain.
A hunt to find the cougar by the province's 'predator attack team' has proven unsuccessful, in part because the attack happened on a paved road.
"We were able to put the dogs out and weren't successful in picking up a solid scent," Sprado said.
"The weather was questionable, hailing at the time and a bit of rain. Weather plays a huge role, especially wet conditions like that."
If the cougar is captured it will be euthanized if it is deemed dangerous to the public.
Cougar sightings in the B.C. Interior are normal, although attacks are not. Conservation officers say your best bet for success is not to run away.
"People shouldn't run," Sprado said.
"It can be deadly. They should prepare to face it head-on."
