A Campbell River man got a stunning video of two cougars he faced down to save his dog.
Speaking with CTV Vancouver Island, Mike Germunstad says he was with his pitbull, Shorty, cleaning up garbage left at a public cabin near Lower Quinsam Lake on Thursday afternoon, when he spotted movement nearby.
"I though it was a dog, and all of a sudden it comes around the corner and it's a cougar. And then the second one came out and I thought 'I'm in trouble here.'"
At this time he had his cell phone out, and was recording the cougars, who were staring them down, when one of the cats advanced.
"The first cat bolted towards us, and I grabbed Shorty by the scruff of the neck just in time. I lifted him straight up over my head and the cougar actually slammed into my leg. It was actually pouncing on Shorty, going for Shorty."
Germunstad hauled the 75 pound pitbull up into the cab of his ATV, and started yelling at the cougars, who were back together and staring at him again.
"They were blocking my exit out of here, that's why I stayed as long as I. When I finally decided to go, I started up my side-by-side, and the engine didn't really scare them off, they just kind of got up casually and wandered off."
Germunstad says he was out with a bunch of tools he uses to clean up the area, and was well armed if the cougars decided to make a move on him again. He had a shovel and an axe in his ATV, but had left the bear spray back in his truck. He says he would have put up a good fight if needed, but is glad it didn't come to a fight.
After leaving the area, he put a call in to the BC Conservation Service, to let them know about the sighting and incident. Germunstand now has a wild story, and a cell phone video to back it up