ALMA, Kansas (STPNS) --     Despite residents of northeast Kansas reporting numerous sightings of mountain lions, Kansas Wildlife and Parks (KWP) Officials refuse to substantiate that mountain lions actually  exist in Kansas.  

  As KWP Officer Rick Campbell put it, ?They?re going to need a car-cass or photo before they can say, without a doubt, they exist.?

  Seventeen year-old Wabaunsee High School senior Wayne Flerlage is sure they do.   He came face to face with one Saturday morning, and it  could have ended his life.



  Flerlage is an athlete.   At  5?11?, 160 pounds there is no room for fat.   Besides lifting weights he trains for cross-country by running ? day and night.  His mother, Diane, said it is not unusual for him to run 10 ? 12 miles at a time, up and down the country roads near Alma.   He not only runs during the heat of the day, but also occasionally sets out on a  late-night run.

  Last Friday night he decided to take a midnight run on one of his fa-vorite routes east of Alma.  Flerlage, clad only in running shorts and shoes, ran east of Alma up Clapboard Ravine Road.    His destination point at the peak of Clapboard Hill is nearly three miles from his home in downtown Alma.  Upon reaching the crest of the hill you can see  Alma and McFarland.  Jeffery Energy Center, north of St. Marys is also visible.

  Wayne said that after he reached the top of the hill he stopped briefly to catch his breath before descending the steep hill.  Wayne was wear-ing earphones, listening to his favorite tunes, when he started down the hill.  That was when he experienced something that, to this date, no other citizen in Kansas has reported to have experienced.

   On Sunday afternoon, Wayne sat around the dining room table with his family and shared that experience with KWP Officer Rick Camp-bell.

  ?It was between 12:30 and 1:00  (a. m.) when I turned and headed back down the hill.  I had probably run about 100 yards when some-thing jumped on my back,? Flerlage said.

  He went on to explain that the force  of the blow knocked him down, and he rolled  approximately ten feet.  

  ?When I started to come up, I was crouched down (he compared it to being in a football stance).  I looked up and  was face-to-face with a mountain lion.  The first thing I did was hit it across the face with a cross-arm block.  After I stood up I kicked it under his head, and he just walked away,? Flerlage said.

  Flerlage said the entire encounter lasted maybe ?5 to 7 seconds.?  

  Campbell asked Wayne if he had any wounds other than the four visi-ble scratch marks on his right forearm.  Wayne removed his shirt and revealed four scratch marks on his shoulder and four across his torso.  None  of the injuries were severe.   The four scratches on Flerlage?s torso measured 5 inches wide.  Each scratch was uniform and one-and-a-half inches apart.  The  scratches on his forearm were only one-inch apart.  All of the wounds were straight and evenly distributed.

  Officer Campbell said later, ?There?s no doubt it was a cat.?

  Flerlage said the cat didn?t growl or snarl.  He added that he just looked as if it was as surprised as he was and turned and walked away.

  Campbell asked Flerlage a number of questions concerning the attack.  Officer Campbell told Flerlage that he didn?t doubt the cat was sur-prised to see what his prey was, and that he probably didn?t expect to have an encounter with a human.

   Mrs. Flerlage told Officer Campbell it is ironic that this encounter happened to Wayne.  She added that Wayne had written a thesis during his freshman year that focused on mountain lions and attacks on hu-mans.  Wayne credits his avoiding further injuries to that study and knowing how to confront a large cat.

  Diane reminded Campbell that Wayne has continued to have a fixa-tion on mountain lions and spoke of the time he discovered scat north of McFarland and turned it into Campbell for verification to see if it was from a mountain lion.

  ?It definitely was  from a cat,? Campbell said, but would not elaborate on it further.

  After Flerlage?s attack he said he continued down the hill toward home.   When asked if he feared  for his life during the attack, he said , ?no.?

  ?Actually, it made me mad.   I guess I was glad he picked me because of my knowledge of the outdoors,  I guess I knew how to react,? Fler-lage said.

  He admitted that as he continued his return to home, the fear factor started to kick-in.

   ?I didn?t have my earphones anymore, and as I ran back I could hear every little sound.  Every twig that broke,? Flerlage said.

  Campbell said that although he receives many calls from individuals claiming they have sighted a mountain lion, this was his first investiga-tion involving an actual attack.

  As Campbell continued to question Flerlage he held out a tape meas-ure and asked about how long the animal was.  Flerlage said that, to the best of his knowledge, he would estimate it to be approximately four feet long, not counting the tail.  He added that the tail was two to three feet long.

  Although Flerlage did not carry a flashlight, there was nearly a full-moon Friday night and early Saturday morning.  

  ?I could clearly see his ears and his nose.  It was difficult to say ex-actly what color he was.  It was a solid color, probably tan,? Flerlage said.

  Campbell said, ?You had an experience not many people have had.  I?ll send my notes and photos of your injuries into the biologist and see what he thinks.   We look at a lot of tracks, and usually they have nail marks, which indicates it?s a big dog.  Wildlife and Parks is pretty cau-tious about admitting there are any mountain lions around.?

  Campbell added that the fact Flerlage squared off with the cat, and nudged him and kicked him, may have prevented more serious injuries.