Florida Man Kills Bobcat With Bare Hands

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL (AP) -- A Florida man says he was acting on instinct when he strangled a rabid bobcat that attacked him on his porch.

Dale Rippy says it was clear the crazed bobcat had to be stopped.

The 62-year-old Vietnam veteran endured the bobcat's slashes and bites until it got into a position where he could grab it by the throat. Then he strangled it.

Rippy's neighbors in the Tampa suburb of Wesley Chapel called for help.

Tests showed the dead bobcat was rabid.

Animal control officials praise Rippy for "using his head." They say if he'd let the cat go, there could have been more victims.

The encounter late last month left Rippy with several bites and cuts, and he was treated for exposure to rabies.

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