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According to KSLTV News, a Labrador retriever in Cedar Hills, Utah, fought off a mountain lion on July 19 in order to rescue its family. The dog survived horrible injuries but made it through the day.
Yellow Lab Ella, age 7, watched the mountain lion while Crystal Michaelis' children played in the garden. Michaelis didn't see the mountain lion, but she did see Ella behaving strangely and dividing her focus between the kids and the mountain lion's hiding area.
Said Michaelis "She continued giving the kids brief glances before hurriedly turning around. Even though she was only exercising caution, my child found it to be rather disturbing.
After some delay, Michaelis took her kids inside. As they got to the patio door, Ella had terrible cuts on her head, face, legs, mouth, and neck." As we opened the back door, Ella was covered in blood. Said Michaelis "The terrace and entryway were covered with blood.
While the family was not there during the struggle, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials found mountain lion footprints that led to the location. Wildlife authorities believe that the mountain lion may have wandered too close to the Michaelis' home after getting distracted by some nearby goats in a neighbor's yard.
Ella, a 7-year-old lab, suffered injuries to her head, neck, legs, and tongue after protecting her family in Cedar Hills from a mountain lion. On her body, she has more than 30 bite marks. Tonight at 6:30 on @KSL5TV, this story will air. https://t.co/gTaA9I3Djk @KSL #ksltv AlexCabrero Cabrero, Alex July 20, 2022
Even though the mountain lion has not been seen recently, the Utah DWR has warned residents to be cautious and safe. Considering that deer are cougars' main source of food, Faith Jolley, a DWR public relations officer, claims that cougars typically follow deer wherever they go. Deer have been seen passing through this area, she said.
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Ella was bit more than thirty times in total, usually beginning at the shoulders. Michaelis told journalists, "This indicates she persisted and continued to defend it while maintaining her defensive posture. Ella is expected to recover well despite her injuries.
For additional information on the incident, see the video below:
