A man who was attacked by a mountain lion while jogging in Colorado has described how he survived by choking the animal to death.

Thirty-one-year-old Travis Kauffman was out for a run on a path in Horsetooth Mountain Park when he heard the branches of a pine tree rustle behind him and turned to see the animal about 10 feet away.

“One of my worst fears was confirmed” he said in a video released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife 10 days after the incident, on 4 February.

Speaking with severe cuts still visible on his face and an arm bandaged, Mr Kauffman said: “It made my heart sink into my stomach a little bit.

“I threw my hands up … but it kept approaching. As it got close it just kind of lunged at me. I threw my arms up and it latched onto my wrist. I was just kind of protecting my face.

“It started clawing along my face and then my legs. I was screaming the whole time, doing my barbarian yell as best I could.”

Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Show all 19 1 /19 Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator From Alligator Bay zoo in Beauvoir, France AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Gorilla Photo dated 14 September 2003 shows 40-year-old Copo de Nieve (Snowflake), the only albino gorilla in the Barcelona zoo, Spain. Zoo specialists said that the gorilla was suffering from leather cancer and that his life expectancy is of about three months. AFP PHOTO/CESAR RANGEL (Photo credit should read CESAR RANGEL/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Wallaby Albino wallaby in a zoo in mother's pouch Bergamo, Italy AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Panda Spotted in China's Wolong National Nature Reserve on 26 May 2019 AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Python From Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Tiger An albino tiger remains in its cage in the house where 15 members of the Beltran Leyva brothers cartel were arrested in Alvaro Obregon district, Mexico City, on October 20, 2008. The detainees, 11 of which are Colombian, were presented to the press on October 19, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo Schemidt (Photo credit should read Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Porcupine Albino porcupine from the Kamla Nehru zoo in Ahmedabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Hedgehog An albino hedgehog from a zoo in Sochi, Russia AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Peacock Not technically an albino, the white peacock in the Nehru Zoo in Hyderabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Gorilla MADRID, SPAIN: (FILES) -- File portrait taken 26 May 1997 shows Copito de Nieve (Snow Flake) the only albino gorilla held in captivity at Barcelona zoo. Spanish animal lovers are facing up to an emotional farewell to Copito de Nieve fighting a losing battle with skin cancer at Barcelona zoo. Copito has been at the zoo since 1966 and is believed to be aged between 38 and 40. Catalan primatologist Sabater Pi found the gorilla in 1966 in the forest of Nko, in Guinea. AFP PHOTO DOMINIQUE FAGET/FILES (Photo credit should read DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Squirrel Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Wallaby Albino wallaby in a zoo in mother's pouch Bergamo, Italy AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Peacock Not technically an albino, the white peacock in the Nehru Zoo in Hyderabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Zebra Albino zebra in Nairobi's national park AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Tortoise A baby Hermann's Tortoise from the Turtle Valley animal park in Sorede, France AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator A baby albino alligator in the Sao Paulo aquarium, Brazil AFP/Getty

While trying to throw the animal off, the pair tumbled down a steep bank to the side of the path.

“From there it was a wrestling match. It was thrashing and it still had my wrist locked in its jaws.

“I was able to get my left knee to pin down its back legs. As a pretty new cat owner I realised if you get a cat on its back, its back legs go crazy … I was pretty wary of the back claws hitting my guts or my groin or anything like that.

“I was grabbing at some sticks that were nearby and was trying to stab it in the throat. Unfortunately the sticks were kind of rotten so they kept on breaking. Then I was able to pick up a big rock with my left hand and I was trying to hit it on the head with a big rock but it was kind of a tough angle because my wrist was still in its mouth.”

As the tussle continued he was eventually able to bring up his right leg and put his foot onto the lion’s neck.

“I stepped on its neck and eventually I was able to suffocate it. And then it finally released from my wrist.”

“I ended up having to run another three miles down,” Mr Kauffman said. He met three other runners who then helped organise taking him to the hospital.

“My face was a bloody mess when I first got there,” he said.

A gash on his cheek required 17 stitches, a cut on the bridge of his nose needed six stitches, two more were needed for puncture wounds on his face and the deep wound on his wrist where the animal had held him required three stitches.

“I feel great. Things are healing up really nicely.”

Afterwards Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers retrieved the dead cat.

Their subsequent investigation confirmed Mr Kauffman’s account, and an autopsy revealed the animal had been four to five months old and weighed 35 to 40 pounds.

The parks service said there have been fewer than 20 mountain lion-related fatalities in more than a century, noting the big cats are “elusive animals” who “tend to avoid humans”.

“It’s just one of those sensational stories,” Mr Kauffman said. “It’s super rare. I just feel like I should go buy a bunch of lottery tickets.”