A Quick Guide to Surviving Animal Encounters Out on the Run

One big story of 2019 so far has been the runner that was attacked in Colorado by a mountain lion kitten. That was a 30- to 40-pound cat, which is not small, but mountain lions can weigh up to 200 pounds or more, like the one recent trail convert Kara Goucher ran into in May.

No matter the size, Kuykendall says mountain lions typically avoid contact with humans and scare easy, but if you run into one, do as you do with the other big cats and appear big, pick up children, and slowly move away. If the mountain lion keeps advancing, throw debris such as rocks and branches. Do not run. They are fast, and seeing your back will trigger its predatory instincts to attack.