{"id":150532,"date":"2022-01-25T17:52:49","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T17:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=150532"},"modified":"2022-01-25T17:52:49","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T17:52:49","slug":"terrifying-moment-hiker-is-stalked-by-ferocious-cougar-for-five-minutes-as-he-prayed-hed-see-wife-and-kids-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/terrifying-moment-hiker-is-stalked-by-ferocious-cougar-for-five-minutes-as-he-prayed-hed-see-wife-and-kids-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Terrifying moment hiker is stalked by ferocious COUGAR for five minutes as he 'prayed he'd see wife and kids again'"},"content":{"rendered":"

THIS is the terrifying moment a hiker is stalked by a mountain cougar as he feared he wouldn\u2019t return home to his wife and kids.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jared Smith was walking along the Broads Fork Trail in Utah when the wild cat appeared and followed him for around five minutes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As he captured the terrifying footage, Jared said that he was thinking about his family. <\/p>\n

Video shows the panicked hiker repeatedly telling the cougar: "I\u2019m going away. I\u2019m not going to bug you."<\/p>\n

The predator, who is about 20-30 feet away, continues to prowl towards the hiker.<\/p>\n

Jared once again tells the cougar that he\u2019s moving away and that he won\u2019t harm the animal.<\/p>\n

Then, the cougar appears to speed up as she heads towards the hiker.<\/p>\n

Jared, who is clearly startled, repeats: \u201cI\u2019m going away, I\u2019m going away."<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Recalling the moment, he told Fox13: \u201cHonestly for me, the thing that\u2019s most important to me is my family and I have a wife and child and thinking I need to make sure I make it home from this.\u201d<\/p>\n

After five minutes, the cougar veered off to the side of the trail and he managed to get back to his vehicle.<\/p>\n

Jared thinks the female wild cat was trying to protect her cubs.<\/p>\n

He said he was shaken by the terrifying experience but has not been deterred from hiking.<\/p>\n

He said: "This definitely shook me more than the hundreds of hours I\u2019ve spent hiking and climbing and other outdoor experiences just because of the prolonged nature of it."<\/p>\n

What is a cougar?<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Cougars are large wild cats that are native to North America, a small region of Florida and South America.<\/p>\n

Adult males tend to weigh up to 200 pounds while females weigh up to 120 pounds.<\/p>\n

They prey on deer but also feed on smaller animals such as livestock and insects. <\/p>\n

The predators are excellent climbers and can jump over 6 meters (20 feet).<\/p>\n

Females can give birth to 2-3 kittens at a time and cubs tend to leave their mother at the age of two.<\/p>\n

In the wild, cougars have a life expectancy of around 10 years but in captivity, they can live to as long as 20.<\/p>\n

It is not the first time a hiker has been pursued along a walking trail in Utah.<\/p>\n

Kyle Burgess, 26, posted the full video of his encounter, which took place in the Slate Canyon Trail near Provo\u00a0last October.<\/p>\n

He initially approached a set of cougar cubs that he thought were bobcats, only then to come face-to-face with their enranged mother.<\/p>\n

He told Fox13 at the time: "Once I did realize what they were, I was like, that's mom right there. I'm screwed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most read in News<\/h3>\n