The lion had been stalking them for the better part of the morning, on the way out to a hunt. They were pretty sure it was after one of the dogs.

The cat ambushed them, and the mule pictured tossed its rider and went into attack (defense) mode, the horses scattered and shots were fired but no one was sure if they hit the cat or not.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until it was almost over that one of the guys started snapping photos. The mule finally stomped the cougar to death after biting and throwing it around like a rag doll. The dogs wouldn’t even come close until the mule settled down.

Via Yellowstone Horses Outfitters for more information on the attack and additional photos.