“I saw it off about 10 feet in the bushes. It just jumped out at me. She jumped. Not jumped towards me, but like hurled herself towards me and was like ‘roar!’’” –Garrett Foster
Intense video out of Utah where trail runner and outdoor enthusiast Garrett Foster encountered a mountain lion while out for a hike in Mill Creek Canyon. The big cat got within two feet of him before he was able to scare it off.
WFLX reports just three days before this incident, Foster spotted a mountain lion for the first time in his life. It didn’t come very close but it put him on edge and he was better prepared for this second encounter.
“I picked up a rock, and I had a knife out just in case something happened. But I roared back twice, and it just took off, ran up the trail.”
After two sightings in just a three day span, Foster said he might take it easy on hiking in Mill Creek Canyon for a bit, but he will be back. His advice for anyone going for a hike in the area:
“Just being alert, knowing that you’re out there with some kind of wildlife at any given time even if you don’t see it, so yeah. Just be alert.”
The Utah Division of Wildlife advises if you come across a mountain lion, you should not run because it could trigger their instincts to chase. Instead, you should try and make yourself bigger by raising your arms and talk firmly in a loud voice while backing away slowly. Be safe out there folks.
Here’s a video from Garrett shortly after his first encoutner