We have all looked and marveled at the Big Cats. Lions, Tigers and Leopards are truly amazing creatures. Few people have the good fortune to be able to work with these cats and I was lucky enough to be one of them. But my perspective on this matter drastically changed on November 15th, 1998.

While cleaning a cage, a co-worker became overly involved with trying to fix a broken door. She erratically, pushed and pulled and shook the door in an attempt to fix it. My job, as the spotter (or lookout person), was to maintain eye contact with the cat and warn of any impending danger, in this case, three cougars.

The 150-pound male, named Cooper, got up and slowly walked toward me. I warned the woman who was assaulting the door, but she did not stop or turn around. Like a bolt of lightning, the cougar leaped up and attacked. The attack lasted nearly 5 minutes. I suffered many lacerations, bruises and seven bites including two that broke bones in my neck. I was very fortunate to come out alive and it took me years to recover.

Now as I look back, I wonder if I should have been there in the first place. Almost monthly I hear of another person somewhere in the World that gets hurt by these graceful but dangerous predators. What’s wrong with admiring them from a distance? There is a big difference between wild and domestic cats and I believe one should respect this difference. Having said that, I do believe that there are a great many good places that care for these animals such as rescues, educational centers and conservation centers. These places are greatly needed and usually under funded.

 I offer these pictures as a simple warning to people whose admiration for these beautiful but dangerous creatures may put themselves and the animals at mortal risk.