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SLO man breaks mountain lion’s neck. Or does he?

February 8, 2016

Mountain-LionUPDATE:  Mountain lion attack story determined to be a hoax

“Robin Olson of San Luis Obispo claimed he was attacked by a mountain lion Saturday afternoon while hiking in Prefumo Canyon.

Upon further investigation, his claim has been determined to be a hoax.” [KSBY]

 

Original article: A San Luis Obispo man and former NCAA wrestler fought off a mountain lion that attacked him Saturday evening near a Prefumo Canyon hiking trail. The mountain lion died in the struggle. [KSBY]

Robin Olson was hiking with his son around 5:30 p.m. They wandered off the trail and came in contact with a mountain lion.

Olson told his son to run away, he said. Olson tried to avoid the mountain lion, but the animal lunged at him and started attacking.

The former wrestler grabbed the mountain lion’s neck. He held onto the cat’s neck as it was scratching him, Olson said.

During the struggle, Olson broke the mountain lion’s neck, killing it instantly. He left with numerous scratches on his body.

Olson said he regrets what happened and that he loves animals. He said he just happened to be in the mountain lion’s space by accident.

His experience should be a lesson to other hikers to stay on the trails, he said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife instructs hikers not to run if they come in contact with a mountain lion. Rather than running, hikers should make noise and try to look big by waving their arms.


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There definitely needs to be a follow up to this story with additional details, pictures and interviews with Fish and Game and the wrestler guy.


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Yet another good reason to allow licensed concealed carry of firearms.


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I don’t buy it either. The cat would have gone after the person running more than likely. Why not make noise try, to look bigger than you are, and slowly back away.


A domestic cat might scratch you, a lion will tear your flesh open, and those back legs would have torn him up while he had the cat in a straggle hold.


Not saying it did not happen, but it sounds like a fisherman telling the story.


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watch the ksby video where they show his arms and legs. That wasn’t from chapparal. It’s easy to say, look bigger, raise your arms, throw rocks etc.. as we are told. When a mountain lion lunges, your heart is beating 160 bpm and you are bleeding and trying to protect your son, the recommended US Wildlife theory is not always easy to remember.


The guy appears to be quiet, soft spoken, and unassuming. Not the personality type for making this up. Oh yeah. He’s obviously pretty bad-ass too.


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I watched it, not a single stitch. A bobcat can do more damage than what is on the film, the guys legs.


Also what Mountain Lion attacks someones lower legs? vs. neck back etc.


Also where is the corpse?


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he was holding it by the neck. It’s back legs would have been in the air adjacent to the man’s legs and flailing as he snapped its neck. Call fish and wildlife and ask them where the corpse is. Do you wish to give it a proper burial? Likely the turkey vultures had a nice meal.


What is the possible motivation for a guy to lie about something like this where he is sure to be targeted as an animal killer by environmentalists, will be criticized for going off trail with his son etc…


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lol If you were paying attention you would know they sample dead animals, who attack people to check for disease.


“What is the possible motivation for a guy to lie about something like this” And the Video is down.


“where he is sure to be targeted as an animal killer by environmentalists” Who will force him to grow trees and suckle ML Kits.


Lol.


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You were right.


I was wrrrr, wrrrr, (fonzie -happy days reference)


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I re-watched the video. And it is interesting that you see no scratches on his arms in the interview that supposedly took place the next day. No facial scratches and no bite wounds from a wild animal that is probably lightening fast.


I have gotten off-trail around this area, and the brush can be brutal. He easily could get those wounds from brush.


Also, as citygirl suggested, the part that made the least amount of sense is that he sent his kid off running. Then his advice to stay on the designated trails so this won’t happen? I think that is a terrible message. You aren’t much safer on the trail if you are safer at all.


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No facial scratches and no bite wounds from a wild animal that is probably lightening fast.

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Lightening fast and about 10 times stronger than a human. It makes no sense. If it’s a 70lb mountain lion cub, it doesn’t attack a 200lb man. If it’s a bobcat, it doesn’t attack a human unless it has rabies.


Against a full grown mountain lion, a bare handed human wouldn’t stand a chance. If the human lived, the human would at least be torn to shreds by those 2 inch fangs.


The only possible way this makes sense is if this was some extremely old, diseased mountain lion just about to die and it basically dies from natural causes as it jumps on the guy.


I think we should re-create the event. I’ll bring over my 80lb pit bull, which couldn’t last 30 seconds with a mountain lion, and we’ll see if this guy can break my little pit bull’s neck. And we’ll also see if my pit bull doesn’t get at least one deep muscle bite in.


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LOL yes achillesheal, you are such a good judge of character – this quiet, soft spoken guy is definitely not making this up….


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The display of ignorance is appalling.


When you grab a cat by the skin on the back of its neck, it automatically goes limp.


Big or small. Domestic or wild, It makes no difference.


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“The display of ignorance is appalling.” Yes it is.


Wow “NorthCountyGuy” grabs lions and tigers by the scruff of the neck and they just go limp LOL,


Show us your proof or zoology degree or we will accept “The display of ignorance”.


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It pays to be a NCAA wrestler. I believe a hardcore wrestler could do that…..not a girly-man though.


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What the? How do you snap a mountain lion’s neck? It this guy Hercules? A mountain lion’s neck is as big as a person’s thigh and stronger. It’s so strong it can pull a 150lb deer up into a tree.


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“How do you snap a mountain lion’s neck” without getting bit or clawed enough to need stitches or even a band aid.


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Sorry, but until someone finds the body of this cat, I smell BS. It wouldn’t be the first time someone with a tall tale duped the local news. Whenever there is a wild animal attack that results in the animal’s death, the first priority for Fish & Wildlife is to recover the body to weigh and measure it and perform a necropsy to determine if it was sick, rabid, etc. Since there was no mention of this in any of the news coverage, it makes this unlikely story even more improbable. At the very least, this guy should be going through the Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis protocol if they didn’t find a body to determine if the cat was rabid, but no mention of that in the story either. Yes, I know he was scratched up, but there are lots of explanations of that – maybe he fell down the hill.


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What do you mean until someone finds the body? They didn’t find a dead mountain lion with a snapped neck?


If I killed a mountain lion with my bare hands, I’d be carrying it draped over my shoulders all the way back to civilization. And then I’d get a lot of victory pictures. That would be the ultimate human v. animal fight story.


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“If I killed a mountain lion with my bare hands, I’d be carrying it draped over my shoulders all the way back to civilization. ”


1000% this, Make it into a cape, rug anything, then buy a lottery ticket.


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Sounds like he did what he had to do.


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You have to be carful what you grab ahold of, you may not be able to let go.


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Must have been a young cat but in any case the man was very lucky as well as prepared.


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The truth comes out, he was prepared with a good story. Maybe the next story will eat him.


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