Adam Borkhus, a 33-year-old wildlife photographer from Wyoming, saved his Labrador puppy Diesel by kicking a mountain lion in the face after it attacked the dog near Cody on September 19. Without weapons, Borkhus fought off the lion bare-handed for about 30 seconds before it fled; he received minor scratches while Diesel remained unharmed. The article contrasts this incident with advice from wildlife experts suggesting travel in groups and using bear spray if a confrontation occurs, rather than physically intervening directly.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Adam Borkhus, a 33-year-old amateur wildlife photographer in Wyoming, saved his 2-year-old Lab, Diesel, from a mountain lion attack on September 19 near Cody, Wyo. When the mountain lion attacked his dog, Borkhus kicked the cat to get it off his pet but was then himself targeted by the approximately 70-pound predator. Despite having a firearm and bear spray, he chose not to use them out of fear of harming Diesel. After successfully kicking the lion, Borkhus ended up fighting it off bare-handed until help arrived. The incident highlights the dangerous encounters that can occur in wildlife-rich areas and the split-second decisions required to protect pets.
Written for “Man Saves Dog From Mountain Lion” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Earlier this month, a Wyoming man found himself in a situation no dog owner ever wants to imagine.
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owner → find → situation
His Labrador was being attacked by a mountain lion.
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Labrador → attack → lion
So he did the only thing he could think to do.
uncertain
he → do → thing
He kicked the big cat in the face.
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He → kick → face
Adam Borkhus, a 33-year-old amateur wildlife photographer, was out looking for elk near Cody, Wyo., on Sept. 19 when he stopped along a remote road to change camera lenses and let his 2-year-old Lab, Diesel, out of the vehicle.
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he → look → vehicle
Seconds later, he heard his dog yelp.
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dog → hear → ?
Borkhus ran into the brush and found a mountain lion on top of Diesel.
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Borkhus → run → Diesel
He had both a firearm and bear spray with him, but with his dog tangled up with the cat, he didn't want to risk hitting Diesel with either.
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he → have → either
So Borkhus went with Plan C: his foot.
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Borkhus → go → C
A swift kick square in the mountain lion’s face successfully got the cat off Diesel.
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kick → get → Diesel
Unfortunately, it also got the cat's attention.
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it → get → attention
"The lion spun around and looked at me," Borkhus told Outside.
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Borkhus → spin → Outside
"Then it pounced and hit me in the chest."
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it → pounce → chest
Borkhus — who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs roughly 300 pounds — was knocked onto his back by the approximately 70-pound cat.
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who → stand → cat
He said he tried to keep its teeth away from his face and neck while punching it with his free hand before eventually grabbing its ear and wrenching it hard enough that the lion took off.
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lion → say → it
The whole thing lasted somewhere around 20 to 30 seconds.
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thing → last → seconds
Borkhus escaped with scratches to his hands, arm and face.
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Borkhus → escape → hands
Diesel somehow came out of the ordeal without any injuries.
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Diesel → come → injuries
And, while his owner was busy throwing hands with a mountain lion, he retreated to the vehicle.
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he → throw → vehicle
He was waiting for Borkhus at the tailgate.
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He → wait → tailgate
Not much of a protective instinct there, but we’re sure Diesel is still a good boy anyway.
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Diesel → ’re → instinct
What should you actually do if you encounter a mountain lion?
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you → do → lion
Kicking a mountain lion in the face worked out remarkably well for Borkhus.
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Kicking → kick → Borkhus
Wyoming Game and Fish says conflicts between humans and mountain lions are rare, but there are several things people should know when recreating in lion country.
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people → say → country
For starters, don't approach one — which should be obvious.
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which → approach → one
Give the animal room to escape and remain calm if you encounter one.
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you → give → one
The department recommends speaking calmly and firmly rather than running away.
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department → recommend → ?
Traveling in groups can also reduce the chances of surprising a mountain lion in the first place.
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Traveling → travel → place
And if things go sideways?
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things → go → ?
That's the official advice from Wyoming Game and Fish: "If a mountain lion attacks you, fight back and defend yourself."
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lion → attack → yourself
Outside also spoke with Mountain Lion Foundation researcher Joshua Lisbon, who recommended keeping dogs leashed or under strong voice control while in the wilderness.
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who → speak → wilderness
If a lion does grab your dog, Lisbon recommends using bear spray rather than physically jumping into the fight — even if your dog gets sprayed in the process.
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dog → grab → process
Obviously, that's much easier advice to process while sitting safely at home than when your best friend is underneath a mountain lion.
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friend → process → lion
But thank goodness for Borkhus and Diesel, it worked out this time.
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it → thank → Borkhus
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