Man's Best Friend May Be a Mule

I got this in an email and it is a good way to finally get the point across to my grandkids why they can't pet the cows in the field next to us where they have a mule in with them.

Don

A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you'll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision...

The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, the mule took off and decided he wanted a piece of that lion. That's when all hell broke loose... for the lion.

As the lion approached the dogs the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, then whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) and stood there ready to continue his ride... as if nothing had just happened.


Fortunately even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off these 4..

Biting. Sorry bout that my granddaughter is helping.

Don :)

This message was edited Aug 29, 2007 9:32 AM

Biting

Tossing again to make certain.

And then for good measure.

Wow!
(May) be a mule?? I think that debate is settled!! The mule's got MY vote!

Incredible!!!!

amazing. thanks for sharing,. I like these kinds of stories.....

I usually take these emails with a grain of salt. But these pictures are incredible, to say the least. That is one tough brave mule.
Maybe he has had a past experience with one of these kitty cats.

Actually chick in the farm and ranch communities that is what they are used for in protecting livestock of any kind including horses. Same reason they use pigs for coyotes and snakes. If they feel that there is an act of aggression happening they are ruthless in the attack, the reason you keep kids out of penned and fenced in areas that contain any of these types of animals.

Don

......Good to know. I'll make a mental note of that!

Donkeys are used around here to keep feral dogs and coyotes away from grazing animals.....you don't want to get on the bad side of one. They're very protective of their 'herd'.

Wow, didn't know that.
Mules and pigs. Good protection.
Thanks for the pictures and the information.

One note to the pigs they are naturally aggressive and will attack a human even full grown if you fall to the ground, my grandfather was always in terror when I went into the pig pen with him, he kept repeating over and over "Don't fall down the pigs will attack". Never knew why he took me in, figured I had to learn I guess.

Don

I learned that one watching the "Wizzard of Oz" every year from when we first got a tv.
Remember Dorothy falling in the pen with the pigs?

Your right he did.

Don

I'm sorry, Snipe, to contradict you, but the lion in the pictures was already dead. The story about a mule killing a lion was made up, and is listed as untrue on the "Truth or Fiction" website. The lion was shot and killed by a hunter, and his mule was attacking the lion's corpse. It's still a strange thing for a mule to do, though!

Edited for typos.

This message was edited Aug 30, 2007 9:05 AM

Very interesting. Around here they use Llamas as guards. There are 5 or 6 Llamas living on the hill just to northwest of me. I see them often on the skyline. One is white the others are dark.

Donna

LOL!!! .....I didn't catch the part where Don wrote "I got this in an email..." Oh my stars! How did I miss that part!?

98% of ALL email forwards are hoaxes or urban legends. I ALWAYS check Truth or Fiction BEFORE sending forwards on to my friends and family. Rarely are they true!
Now I have to go tell my husband. :-P .....He told me it wasn't true.

You can read the (true) story about the mule and the lion at:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/mule-lion.htm

:) Glenda

PS: Thanks June for the "heads up"! Glad you were on your toes!

Told you that I take these with a grain of salt. It does look alive in that one picture though.

Well I guess I should have checked before posting HUH! Although I have watched these crazy critters kill a few animals that I would not have messed with, including adult male bobcats which aren't much smaller than a cougar.

Don

Don,
I enjoyed this anyway. You did come right out front and say that this was an email...so I don't think you have anything to be sorry for.

The pictures were great, worth the look and maybe we all learned something.
Can that be bad?

Well it dose illustrate what these otherwise docile looking creatures can do if provoked. Like the old saying goes "never judge a book by its cover". And as I said before I have had the opportunity to see some of what they can do in action, gruesome as it is to watch it is facinating.

I usually try to verify before I apply but right now I am building a den, billiard room, a kitchen and dinning room area so I got a little hasty and did not check.

Don :)

Sounds like you need the help of a mule.

Don,
Don't feel bad! You didn't know. I fell for it too! LOL It gave us a good laugh for the day! ;) .....Heavens, would anyone who HASN'T been mislead by an email hoax please stand up. .....See, I told you...... we've all done the same thing. :)

My husband was cute.... I emailed him to tell him that he was right and I was wrong. The lion was dead when the mule got to it. ....He replied, "I'm sorry." .........I was really expecting "I told you so!" hehe!

He's a good guy. I think I'll keep him. :)

LOL I always check snopes.com when I suspect a funky email story. But hey, if they really are that protective, I sure wouldn't want to mess with them!

No kidding. They're way too powerful to be able to stop them, and then when you add the fact that they feel threatened, that's a dangerous mix if you're on the "receiving end of the stick"!

Really, any animal that is close to our size, or larger, is dangerous when they feel threatened. ......And even the smaller ones will give you a run for your money!

Snipe, I liked your version better. :o)