Cody Man Fights Off Mountain Lion Attacking His Dog Near Elk Country

A Cody-area man fought off a mountain lion with his bare hands after the animal attacked his dog along a remote road near Cody on Sept. 19.

Adam Borkhus, 33, an amateur wildlife photographer, had stopped to change camera lenses while looking for elk and let his 2-year-old Labrador, Diesel, out of his vehicle. Moments later he heard the dog yelp and found a mountain lion on top of him in nearby brush.

Borkhus was carrying both a firearm and bear spray, but with Diesel and the cat tangled together, he didn’t want to risk hitting his dog. Instead, he kicked the mountain lion in the face.

The kick knocked the animal off Diesel, but it turned its attention to Borkhus instead.

“The lion spun around and looked at me,” Borkhus told Outside. “Then it pounced and hit me in the chest.”

Borkhus, who is 6-foot-3 and weighs roughly 300 pounds, was knocked onto his back by the cat, estimated at about 70 pounds. He worked to keep its teeth away from his face and neck, punched it with his free hand, and eventually grabbed its ear and wrenched it until the animal fled. The struggle lasted roughly 20 to 30 seconds.

Borkhus came away with scratches to his hands, arm and face. Diesel was uninjured, having retreated to the vehicle during the fight and waited for his owner at the tailgate.

What Wildlife Officials Recommend

Wyoming Game and Fish says conflicts between people and mountain lions are rare but offers guidance for anyone recreating in lion country. The agency advises against approaching a mountain lion, recommends giving the animal room to escape, staying calm, and speaking in a firm, calm voice rather than running. Traveling in groups can also lower the odds of surprising a lion.

If an attack does happen, the department’s advice is direct: “If a mountain lion attacks you, fight back and defend yourself.”

Joshua Lisbon, a researcher with the Mountain Lion Foundation, told Outside that dog owners should keep pets leashed or under strong voice control in the wilderness. If a lion attacks a dog, Lisbon recommends using bear spray rather than physically intervening, even if the dog is caught in the spray.

For Borkhus and Diesel, the encounter near Park County ended without lasting harm to either of them.