'I couldn't prise its jaws open': the woman who fought a mountain lion to save her dog

Ilene Dondlinger of California says she does not want the big cat killed, despite its fatal attack on her miniature schnauzer

When Ilene Dondlinger jumped on the mountain lion attacking her miniature schnauzer in the early hours of 5 December, she reacted without thinking. The 54-year-old wrestled with the big cat in her backyard, desperately trying to open its jaws to save her beloved dog Pumba. But there was nothing she could do.

"I couldn't prise its jaws open, no matter what I did," Dondlinger said, detailing how she punched, kicked and jumped on the big cat, even putting her knee to its throat in desperation.