Posted on by theoutdoorsguy

Bear saves man from cougar attack

bearcougar

Statistically speaking, a bear attack is about as likely as being struck by lighting.

And being attacked by a cougar is also not a common occurrence, even for those who travel the western backwoods on a regular basis.

So, what about being attacked by a cougar and then saved by a bear. The likelihood of that would be astronomical, right??

Any statisticians in the house??

Well, believe it or not that is precisely what one man claims happened to him this past weekend in Butte County, California.

Bob Biggs was hiking through a gorge of the Feather River in Northern California, when he spotted a mother bear and cub ahead of him on the trail. His instincts kicked-in (being a seasoned outdoorsman) as he slowly backed away giving the bear ample room.

Biggs said he actually saw the bear two more times during his walk before this story took a very strange turn.

While being mindful of a bruin in the area, without warning, Biggs was hit hard from behind by another large animal.

Oh my God, it was a cougar!!

The cougar (estimated at 100 pounds) pounced on Bob’s back and started shaking him from side to side. He suffered puncture wounds on his forearm. Biggs had a climbers axe with him he used to swat at the cougar, but to no avail.

Within seconds; however, the bear he had seen earlier was on the scene and grabbed the cougar from Bob’s back. According to Biggs, the bear fought with the cougar long enough for him to escape the mêlée.

Biggs returned home to tell his wife what had happened. She could hardly believe it since her husband had been hiking that region for 60 years without any troubles.

Officials at California‘s wildlife department are not convinced either, stating that the ‘facts in this incident have yet to be proven’.

What do you think?

Did Bob Biggs get attacked by a cougar and then miraculously saved by a nearby mother bear travelling with her cub?

Outdoorsguy

P.S. I my next Blog Post, I’ll recount the time I was held at knife point during a home invasion, when a kindly convicted felon broke-in to save me.

28 Replies to “Bear saves man from cougar attack”

  1. i think this man may have been hiking and visiting a place he shouldn’t have (flew to toronto new brothels ) and had to come up with some sort of excuse when he had scratches all over him ….note to self don’t use new brothels unless you live were cougars and bears live heheheeh

  2. Strange things do happen in the bush with outdoors people. Reminds me of the time I was out moose hunting. My buddy and I shot a huge bull. Dropped like a rock he did.He went down so fast his legs splayed out on either side leaving him upright.Of course we went to take pictures.I got him by the horns and sat on his back and my buddy snapped away.It must have been the flash, but the moose wasn’t dead only stunned.Next thing I knew I was on the back of a running bull.Well what to do?I managed to get my coat off and threw it over his face to blind him, but it only covered one eye. Fortunately this made him run in a big circle.I hung on for dear life.Eventually he ran back past my buddy who had dropped his camera and got his gun.Just as I got beside him the moose ran under a big pine. I grabbed a limb and swung off and up,just as my friend shot the moose.Swear it happened.If you notice that your computer screen is a little greasy it’s because I’m eating moose salami as I’m writing this

    1. Hahahaha Bob, that was a terrific…and the second tallest outdoor tale I’ve ever heard..hehe

      Outdoorsguy

  4. The bear was indeed fighting the cougar, but I would suspect it was about who was going to eat first at the lunch buffet. Strange things happen in the woods though.

  5. It is entirely possible. It’s not that the bear was trying to save the man, but her babies. She may have thought the cougar a danger to them. A mama bear would soundly trounce anything that jeopardizes her cubs. There was a story a couple of years ago, verified and everything, about a case in Africa where a young girl, as per usual, was kidnapped by a neighbouring tribe so they could rape her. She was 11… old enough in their opinion to be forcibly married and coupling, but her woeful cries were overheard… not by her kin, but by three lions. All three lions came to her rescue, chased the offending jackass men away and three hours later, when her own tribe came along, the lions were guarding the crying girl. They never touched her. Kept her safe until her own family could take her home. So… there you go… strange things do happen in the woods and the jungles where animals don’t know that we don’t believe they’re able or allowed to do things unless we say they can. Somebody needs to tell them.

    1. Mavis, although I am ‘picking up what you’re putting down’, there are a few details in this story I still cannot get past.

      If Mr Biggs did catch a glimpse of a mother bear & cub nearby, and made a point of staying out of its way, why then would a cougar pouncing on his back prompt an attack? I do not believe a mother bear (black bear or grizzly) would perceive this as ‘jeopardizing her cubs’ as you maintain.

      Statistics have shown that a very small percentage of bear attacks are from sow’s protecting their cubs, and nearly every ‘fatal’ bear attack in North America (Over 95%) was the result of a predatory lone male bear.

      The only possible explanation, if this story is indeed true, is that the bear more likely perceived Mr Biggs as prey(a theory mentioned by ‘Johan’)..being taken down by the cougar..and away from the bear.

      Perhaps the bear thought she’d move in for an easy meal…I suppose that is a possibility. And if that is the case..this man is one lucky SOB!

      Outdoorsguy

  6. Reminds me of the time I was Wolverine hunting in Northern Alaska……….oh never mind, you wouldn’t believe it anyway but I swear it’s true

  7. Outdoors guy

    Do you mean to tell me that Bob’s story is not true? I believed him and I told all my friends.

    1. Hunting mom, I’m not sure what to think anymore..it certainly is a tall tale, but I guess it could be true.

      I wish Mr Biggs would drop by for a visit. I would love to chat with him about his experience.

      Outdoorsguy

      1. Latest news on this story:

        Blood on man’s backpack was not from lion or bear

        By RICK SILVA-Paradise Post

        The blood on Robert Biggs’ backpack wasn’t from a mountain lion or a bear; according to the California Department of Fish and Game, the blood was human.
        Biggs claimed last week in two interviews with The Paradise Post and several other media outlets that he was saved from a mountain lion attack by a bear. He also claimed to have injured the lion with a rock pick.

        “As you know, the backpack was brought to our lab for testing and we got the results back yesterday,” said Kirsten Macintyre, communications manager for DFG in an email to The Post Tuesday morning.

        “There was a very small amount of blood on the pack, and the results showed that it was human blood.”

        Macintyre said there was no indication of any lion or bear blood present on the pack. The test found neither saliva, nor even a single hair present on the backpack. It was clean of any dirt with only one tear less than a half-inch in length.

        Macintyre told The Post typically when a mountain lion attacks a human, the front paws grab the shoulders, the back paws dig into the lower back and they bite down on the head.

        Had Biggs been attacked by a lion, the backpack would have more damage to it. There also would have been hair and saliva on the pack Biggs provided DFG.

        “All of the evidence — the lab results, a study of the scratches on Mr. Biggs’ arm and a thorough investigation at the scene — is inconsistent with a mountain lion attack.”

        She doesn’t know how Biggs got his injuries.

        Macintyre said it’s also rare to see mountain lions and bears interact, and there has never been a record of a bear saving a human from a lion attack.

        Biggs was not surprised when The Post told him of Fish and Game’s DNA results. He had not officially heard from DFG by deadline.

        “I told them when they picked that up that it could be my blood,” Biggs said. He said the mountain lion was only on him for a few seconds before the bear tore it off.

        He said when he came home he had dirt and blood up and down the left side of his arm and leg. He threw those clothes in the washer so he could wear them again the next day, he said.

        Biggs also told the warden it could be duck or rabbit blood, picked up from a friend’s vehicle while hunting.

        Additionally, he said the backpack had been in the rain and in Butte Creek between the time of the attack on Monday and the time Fish and Game picked it up on Thursday.

        And while Fish and Game’s results may cast further doubt on his story, Biggs has not backed off or changed his story and insists he is telling the truth.

        “I really don’t care what they say,” he said.

  8. Interesting blog post, hadn’t put much thought to it before reading this. Thanks. -Ravi Shanghavi, Ottawa

  10. So he was attacked by a duck, and a rabbit saved him? I don’t blame him for embelishing, the last time I was attacked by a duck I had to use martial arts. They are blood thirsty.

    congratulations on the bull bob m! Reminds me of the time……

  12. Better news than this rubbish: senate approved c19 today, one more rubber stamp and our certificates can get the 21 gun salute.

  14. better keep the registrations, just in case. The great Orange hope is moving up in the polls and they may need to garner a few Toronto red votes 3 years from now. It’s all about getting your party members to the trough and keeping them there as much as they cry for the little guy!

  16. Rangers in 4

    The Great Orange

    Le Grande, didn’t he play for the Expos?

    Went out to my turkey place yesterday and although I didn’t see any on this property, I did see a flock on the next property, about 200 yards as the turkey fly’s

    Big show this weekend in Carp
    The Valley Sportsman Show
    The one in the spring is the better of the two they put on every year

  17. By the way Johan, even if the NDPers did get in, they’d have to start from scratch, and I have a feeling the second time around, they would be much more resistance

  18. The leeks are up at my place, woods are unusually dry though. Not often I can drive anywhere at this time of the year and not sink out of sight, or at least till I hit the Canadian Shield, which in some places is only 6 inches Turkeys are calling everywhere now. On a walk last saturday I heard a calling gobbler in the bush not too far away, so I parked my butt, and did a few pathetic hen calls (I raised meat turkeys for years so I have some idea of their noises). He was answering me then quit so I lost interest but when I stood up I heard him running through the leaves. I am afraid if he comes to that call, he is going to be turkey fingers soon. The deer have gone scarce again, after seeing them daily so I suspect it’s fawning time as they always seem to re-dissappear for a while at this time of the year.
    Can anyone tell me if spring is a good time to catch splake? It’s all we got for trout…!

    1. Yup..I noticed the wild garlic(leeks) up in my area as well..best picking prob still a couple of weeks away though. And like Johan, the active gobblers are all over the place..had a huge tom on my lawn yesterday am in full display. Of course, there’s no gobbler season at my place too bad.

      Johan, from what I’ve observed the deer seem to disappear for fawning a little later in the spring..like end of May or early June, but who knows this year, right?

      Regarding Splake, you make it sound like its a bad thing to have those around? You know they produced these hybrid(F1, F1 Backcross, etc) trout for a reason..it was for there sporting qualities. They are pretty amazing trout and although I don’t personally have a lot of experience fishing for splake, from what I know spring is ‘the’ time to catch them!

      So, where is this special lake anyway..hehe

      Outdoorsguy

  19. Well Jeff, I don’t really have a special lake, and the only Splake I have ever caught was up in the Temiskiming forest area, a 6.5 lber so a good introduction. We have a couple of lakes in our area that have been stocked but I have never fished them and it’s certainly not a bad thing if you can catch them. I was more stating that we really don’t have many pure spec lakes down here, and I always had to travel to do any spec fishing. If you want to fish lakers it’s dragging cannon balls in summer, and not too exciting. I would like to make at least one more trip into lake Lavielle in Algonquin park before I am dead. A bit of a slug when you aren’t traveling light but the fishing can be awesome and we gorged on fish any time we were there. I also know that it’s only a matter of time before someone manages to land a 50lber out of there. We have seen and hooked some monsters but canoe fishing is challenging, and the thought of dumping the canoe, 500 yards from shore, the week after ice out doesn’t help.

  20. the fawns being born early is a really good thing, any extra time it gives them to grow and gain weight before winter is ideal for survival, although, I think mid April is still early

    1. That’s right Iggy, nothing wrong with an ‘early born fawn’ that’s for sure..and its not something you often hear about. Usually the late born ones we’re concerned with.

      Outdoorsguy

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