Animals are amazing to watch and learn about, but there are some that it is better to watch from a distance.
Certain animals can be tamed and domesticated so that they are friendly and enjoy interacting with people. Others will always be wild and shouldn’t be messed with. Still, if a dangerous animal is in need of help, what do you do?
Do you risk your life to save it or do you watch it die?
A group of heroes from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recently had to make that choice when they came upon a cougar or mountain lion with its leg caught in a trap in the Pine Valley Mountains in southern Utah. The trap was painful and impossible for it to escape on its own. They knew they had to help but were afraid that the animal would attack them once it was free.
The more the cougar pulled away from the trap, the tighter it got and the more pain it caused the big cat.
It wasn’t happy to see the men, either. Their presence made it even more nervous and angry and caused it to thrash wildly, trying to free itself out of fear.
Both men knew they needed to act quickly but also carefully.
They decided to hold the cougar with neck ropes. This would keep him still, so they could remove his foot from the trap and prevent him from hurting himself or them. Putting the ropes on wasn’t an easy task. The cougar just wasn’t having it.
Finally, they were able to get a rope of his head and hold him still while the other slipped a rope over his back legs. This prevents him from moving and kicking, but he was still angry and scared. He used his one free paw to swat at the men. Although he was restrained, he was still very dangerous.
They attempted to remove his foot as fast as they could.
They put a jacket over his head to help calm him down and to keep him from biting them when their arms were near his face. Taking his foot out of the trap was difficult, but it was still the easiest part of the ordeal. They now had to release him.
Although they were clearly helping the animal, they weren’t sure if the mountain lion knew that. There as a chance that once he as free he would turn and attack them. It was a chance they had to take. The first man removed the rope from the cat’s back legs, and the other attempted to remove it from its neck. Once the cat’s legs were free, it took off with the other rope still around its neck.
This was dangerous, and the rope could prevent the cougar from eating or cause him to get stuck again.
They now had to track it and attempt to get close enough to remove the neck ropes. This wasn’t going to be easy and there was a chance that the cougar was tracking the men instead.
The men were able to track the cougar by following the bloody footprints it left behind from its injured paw. After a couple hundred yards, they came across the neck rope lying in the path. The mountain lion was able to remove it himself and was now safe.
The men had done what they set out to do, save the big cat. Now, they could go home and feel good about their good deed. Hopefully, the cougar went on to live a long normal life once his paw healed. Maybe he is even appreciative of what those brave men did to help him.
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Sources: NowThis, TheDodo, Storyful News
