Man punches cougar in face, deters attack near Smithers, B.C.
Wildlife safety group says anyone attacked by a cougar should 'always fight back'
A B.C. man suffered minor injuries after fending off a cougar attack by punching the animal in the face in the province's northern Interior last weekend.
The province's Conservation Officer Service said in a social media post that the attack happened on Saturday around 11 a.m. PT near Smithers, B.C., about 670 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.
The service said the man was working near Lake Kathlyn when the animal approached and swiped his upper body.
The man told officers that he punched the cougar in the face and the animal then disengaged.
The service said the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and did not need to be hospitalized.
Officers set a live trap in the area and surveyed the scene but did not locate the cougar. The service said it is monitoring the vicinity in case another response is necessary.
'Never play dead'
Cougars account for approximately 2,500 calls to the Conservation Officer Service every year, according to WildSafeBC.
And while they can pose a risk, cougars rarely attack humans, the group says.
It says anyone who encounters a cougar should "keep calm and "never run." Instead, WildSafeBC says you should "make yourself look as large as possible and back away slowly, keeping the cougar in view and allowing a clear exit" for the animal.
If you are attacked, the group says "always fight back and never play dead."
With files from CBC News