A Cody man and his dog were injured Saturday on the South Fork by a mountain lion.

According to a release, on the evening of Sept. 19, Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel responded to a report of an aggressive mountain lion encounter, along the upper portion of the South Fork Road. The unidentified man reported a mountain lion attacked his dog in heavy cover, right along the South Fork Road near the Deer Creek Trailhead, after he pulled over to let his dog out briefly during an early evening outing to photograph elk.  

When he heard his dog yelp, the man went into the cover to investigate, and observed a small mountain lion on his dog. When he came to his dog's aid, the mountain lion made contact with the man, causing the individual minor injuries that were later treated at a local medical facility.

Based on the investigation, this was most likely a surprise encounter with a mountain lion that led to aggressive-defensive behavior.

Game and Fish personnel responded that evening but could not locate the lion. A subsequent search of the area yielded no sign of the mountain lion. The department will continue to monitor the area.