• A hiker was wandering along a mountain trail in Utah when he came across cougar cubs and their very protective mother.
• The adult cat chased the man for six minutes as he tried to escape.
• The man eventually escaped by throwing a stone at the cat, which frightened her.

Going for a walk is usually a pleasant and relaxing way to get some exercise and enjoy the great outdoors. This type of activity is even more important these days, as the coronavirus pandemic has blatantly brought life to a standstill in many areas, but a Utah man recently discovered that Mother Nature can be a little intimidating if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. .

While walking on a distant hiking path, Kyle Burgess saw what he believed to be little bobcat cats a short distance away. As he slowly got closer, he began to shoot, and he might have imagined that he would capture shots of pint-sized predators from a safe distance. He got more than he bargained for.

As he got closer, it became apparent that the cats weren’t bobcats at all, but rather cougar cubs. This became all the more evident when their mother showed up, running into Barges as he frantically trying to retreat. The cat, with the protection of its offspring in mind, would not hold back, and while Burgess did everything in his power to remain calm while still preventing an attack, the cougar began to chase him.

Walking back for a full six minutes, Burgess repeatedly tried to get the cat to back off. Over time, the predator got closer and closer, eventually setting off from the park several times and kicking dust and debris as it made its terrifying show. Nothing Burgess does – including screaming and even hissing at the cat – seemed to deal with a cougar.

The video is stunning for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Burgess manages to keep the camera focused on the cat while retreating from a rocky mountain path. It’s a great piece of shots, and you can definitely feel the intensity. Personally, my palms get sweaty just by watching it.

In the end, Burgess does what most experts say you probably shouldn’t even try: Bend down to pick up a rock. Bending over or making yourself appear small is basically a call to attack, as the cat will see it as a sign of weakness and use it as an opportunity to get into the kill. Luckily, the cat isn’t advancing, and the park manages to throw a boulder in its direction and scare it away.

It is easy to see why Burgess did not want to search for a rock at first. The cat was so aggressive that it seemed like a sure thing that it would attack it if it took the time to look away and crouch. Thankfully, things worked out, and neither Burgess nor the big cat was seriously injured.