Man strangles infected bobcat that attacked him

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. -- Dale Rippy says he was acting on instinct when a rabid 25-pound bobcat attacked him on his porch in this central Florida suburb.

Rippy, 62, endured the bobcat's slashes and bites until it clawed into a position where he could grab it by the throat.

Then he strangled it.

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

"I was bleeding everyplace," the Vietnam veteran said of the May 30 attack.

In this photo released by Dale Rippy, a dead bobcat May 30, 2007, is shown outside his Wesley Chapel, Fla., home. The 62-year-old Vietnam veteran said he was acting on instinct when he strangled the rabid 25-pound (11-kilogram) bobcat that attacked him on the back porch of his Florida home. Rippy was treated for exposure to rabies, and several bites and cuts. (AP Photo/Dale Rippy

"If that cat had attacked a child, it would've been really bad. It wouldn't have quit."

Rippy's neighbors in this suburb 25 miles northeast of Tampa called for help.

Tests showed the dead bobcat was rabid. Rippy was treated for exposure to rabies and several bites and cuts.

Authorities praised Rippy for clear thinking under pressure.

"We give this guy a lot of credit for what he did," said Pasco County Animal Control Manager Denise Hilton.

"The man was definitely using his head when he did that. If he let the cat go, we could have had more victims."