A heroic Border Collie is being credited with helping save the life of a 10-year-old young boy from a cougar attack. A group friends were out for a walk near Lillooet, British Columbia when the cougar dropped out of a tree on the trail ahead of them.
Two women, four children and the dog were walking at a family cabin near near Lillooet, British Columbia when the cougar pounced on the boy, who had run ahead of the others. He was knocked to the ground when the cougar swiped at him, according to a social media post by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
Stock photo: Pixabay
That’s when the Border Collie leapt forward and jumped on the cougar’s back while the women and children screamed and threw rocks and sticks until the mountain lion fled.
https://www.facebook.com/ConservationOfficerService/posts/4421250584583125?__xts__[0]=68.ARAiv4dNnTTpC6_jINskMXsGMIpDLKdgihW6vhi8iX0ta0m28q-VZRPPHL08DuteNKvcn3MwPIW5nKdM_NgCxUhUc6b2V7riTFRUz6VIcMC1KijSPdFb4Iu8bSouQfxDOM6TQuid37T78DuHxbuU69uY6vekIxhJik_ljiNb20I079oJjsGj1vu7BGcFYFQNHX5wSrjE9-wzKXrFn2n_lN0TMpS8A4OkUGxK4AEYNxaDArrVYnIWGwV8ZSvuso_k5vWx0aMT8Yu350tCVMT0493jfEGWxnxCxYO6imnKEfQsD_b1Remet8p1lZAan4auk1UjS5q63sTPqe-2aPO70KrvAA&__tn__=-R
A nearby road worker rushed to assist the family and helped give first aid to the boy, who suffered scratches to his back and chest. The boy had non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.
Although cougar attacks are rare and the area around Marshall Lake is remote wilderness, Conservation Officers caution anyone traveling to backcountry areas to review wilderness safety tips before venturing out. One of the tips shared on WildSafeBC is that if you encounter a cougar in the wild you should stay calm, don’t run, and immediately pick up small children, if possible.
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