A cat took on a coyote in California and won after the predator made several attempts to snatch it.
The cat named Thor, belonging to a woman living in Chico, came face to face with a coyote in the early hours of March 22, Action News Now reported.
Owner Jennifer Roesner told the news outlet that she had been fearful for her cat, "thinking he was going to get taken."
But the 12-year-old feline managed to get away from the predator. According to Roesner, he is no "scaredy cat."
The cat used to prowl the surrounding area at night, but Roesner will now keep him in the backyard for a while following the incident.
She describes Thor as a "lazy cat" who likes to sleep all day. Roesner got him from a friend when he was only a month old after he was found alone in a well.
"So he kind of had to fend for himself, potentially for maybe a few days? Maybe that's where he got it," Roesner told the news outlet, explaining Thor's plucky nature.
The courageous cat and his owners live near Lindo Channel, which is home to an abundance of wildlife. Coyotes, however, are rarely sighted.
"We usually see raccoons and skunks almost every day and some deer sometimes, but we haven't seen a coyote here in years, so that was kind of scary," Roesner said.
There are an estimated 250,000 to 750,000 coyotes living in California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They can be found across all sorts of terrain, from desert to mountains.
They will sometimes wander into residential areas when on the lookout for food but do not usually harm humans. Usually the only problems associated with the animals is if they prey on livestock or domestic pets.
Coyotes are usually only active at night time and in the early hours of the morning. If a coyote is spotted in the daytime people should be especially wary, as it most likely means that it has become accustomed to humans and may not keep its distance.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about coyotes? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
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About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
