Hiker fights off mountain lion with a rock during ambush in Utah: report

A 70-year-old hiker in Utah says he fought off a mountain lion using only a rock and his hands, the New York Post reported.

Evan Ray Nilsen suffered lacerations on his arm and his head and described the encounter as “a shock and a half.”

“A mountain lion hit me right on the side, knocked me down the hill,” Nilsen said. “I kind of hunched up or folded up, and it comes down around behind me. And I hit it with a rock – just with my hand with a rock – and it took off.”

Speaking to news outlets, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation manager Scott Root said that aggressive encounters between humans and mountain lions are “very rare.”

“Several factors may have contributed to this attack — a younger lion may not be as aware of humans, it could be it was simply startled or defending a kill,” Root said.

When the animal involved in the encounter is found it will be euthanized, he said.