This weeks BAMF

Azazal · Post by **Azazal** » 2007-06-19 09:07pm

WESLEY CHAPEL - Dale Rippy follows the same routine every trash day.

He wakes up, heads to the curb of his home in the Villages of Wesley Chapel, rolls his empty trash cans to the back porch and stores them for the next garbage collection.

But when he reached the back porch about 7 a.m. May 30, he found a grumbling 25-pound bobcat on his doorstep.

"I've seen bobcats before, but this one growled this deep, loud growl," Rippy said. "I set my cart down with the cans because I knew he was going to jump and bite me."

Rippy is 62. He is a Vietnam veteran. Growing up on a farm in Indiana, he was used to animals. He'd even seen bobcats before.

But this one was different. So Rippy braced himself, preparing for the worst.

The bobcat lunged toward him, biting Rippy in the abdomen. Then the animal wrapped its body around Rippy's, sliding its sharp nails across Rippy's arms and legs, leaving bloody scratches.

He knew he had to do something, anything, to stop the attack.

So Rippy grabbed the animal by the neck.

"I was waiting for him to get in a good position so I could hold him," he said.

The bobcat struggled to free itself, but Rippy was determined not to let go. He choked the bobcat for about a minute until it died.

"He went limp, and I'm standing there holding him by his neck," he said. "I was bleeding everyplace."

Rippy's wife and son were off to work. So Rippy, injured but calm, put the bobcat down and headed toward his neighbor's house.

Barbara Ahlers called authorities. Her husband, George, took pictures of their bloodied neighbor. And Rippy took pictures of the bobcat.

An Animal Control official arrived and took the bobcat away. Because of its unusual behavior, the animal was tested for rabies.

The test came back positive two days later. Rippy was placed on medication and given a series of shots.

Still, a rabies alert was never issued because of a Pasco County Health Department rule: There must be three animals that test positive for rabies in one ZIP code in order for the public to be alerted.

Florida bobcats usually weigh 15 to 35 pounds. They typically prey on small animals, such as rabbits, rodents and birds, although occasionally they go for larger game like deer.

After the attack, county officials praised Rippy for his quick thinking.

"We give this guy a lot of credit for what he did," said Denise Hilton, animal services manager for Pasco County Animal Control. "The man was definitely using his head when he did that. If he let the cat go, we could have had more victims."

Rippy, recuperating at home from his puncture wounds, was glad he acted on his instincts.

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

Vampiress_Miyu · Post by **Vampiress_Miyu** » 2007-06-19 09:19pm

Wow. I'm not even sure how to respond to this, other than wow.

I can't even begin to think of what I'd do if I walked outside and there was a bobcat on my doorstep.

loomer · Post by **loomer** » 2007-06-19 09:31pm

A bolder man than I. I'd probably have needed new pants and slammed the door if there was a bloody bobcat about to eat my face.

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » 2007-06-19 09:31pm

Huh, I guess the only thing that needs be said is, "Does Dale Rippy have to choke a bitch?"

Dark Flame · Post by **Dark Flame** » 2007-06-19 10:17pm

"We give this guy a lot of credit for what he did," said Denise Hilton, animal services manager for Pasco County Animal Control. "The man was definitely using his head when he did that. If he let the cat go, we could have had more victims."

Somehow I doubt he was using his head a whole lot. It was probably more like an "Oh shit this thing's gonna eat me!!" moment.

And it's entirely badass that he strangled a rabid bobcat with his bare hands. I wish I could do that.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-06-19 10:44pm

That man has cast-iron balls.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-06-20 12:09am

Now that is a man.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2007-06-20 12:32am

Darth Wong wrote:That man has cast-iron balls.

The bobcat lunged toward him, biting Rippy in the abdomen.

Quite literally

.

Not as good as the 80 something African farmer who ripped a lion's tongue out, but still more than I could hope for, and indeed, fucking Badass.

Tasoth · Post by **Tasoth** » 2007-06-20 12:49am

I would have used a garbage lid to try and bounce the little shit away from me when it pounced. But other then that, that man did much better then I would have.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-06-20 12:50am

I wonder if, in situations such as this, if the BAMF in question would have the animal stuffed and preserved.

"Yeah, that's the rabid bobcat I strangled with my bare hands." Is a great way to start a conversation. Therefore, I must dust off the old pic...

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2007-06-20 01:11am

So Rippy grabbed the animal by the neck.

"I was waiting for him to get in a good position so I could hold him," he said.

The bobcat struggled to free itself, but Rippy was determined not to let go. He choked the bobcat for about a minute until it died.

We've got thumbs, motherfuckers.

Post by **weemadando** » 2007-06-20 03:44am

I raise you:
A german pensioner killing an evil attack squirrel with his crutch.

Napoleon the Clown · Post by **Napoleon the Clown** » 2007-06-20 04:44am

And this is why you don't fuck with war vets.

My dad, a former postal worker, knew a guy that nearly killed two rotweillers (if memory serves) at the same time when the asshole owners let them out. He rather calmly told the he was going to break their dogs' necks and proceeded to slowly choke the dogs out while they sat and bit at him and tore him up. Being six foot something and over 200lbs while in good shape sort of gives you advantages. Especially if you know how to kill something.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2007-06-20 04:52am

Napoleon the Clown wrote:And this is why you don't fuck with war vets.

My dad, a former postal worker, knew a guy that nearly killed two rotweillers (if memory serves) at the same time when the asshole owners let them out. He rather calmly told the he was going to break their dogs' necks and proceeded to slowly choke the dogs out while they sat and bit at him and tore him up. Being six foot something and over 200lbs while in good shape sort of gives you advantages. Especially if you know how to kill something.

Animal attacks are in part dangerous because the average person doesn't have the finely honed survival skills of the animals themselves. Combat veterans, however, do, and it's unsurprising that they can strangle to death animals which attack them while untrained people get mauled to death themselves. Even though they're not trained for specific incidents like that, their preparation to engage in violence and their heightened reaction time is sufficient to give them the edge.

Dark Flame · Post by **Dark Flame** » 2007-06-20 11:03am

I think their willlingness to do violence to protect themselves is a factor too. I thik that a lot of people would at least have a little bit of delay before they decided to fight back. A veteran doesn't have this delay because they know that violence is necessary to protect themselves, and don't have to think it through at all.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2007-06-20 04:50pm

weemadando wrote:I raise you:
A german pensioner killing an evil attack squirrel with his crutch.

I think the bobcat was a bigger threat.

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2007-06-20 05:03pm

I would just like to confirm that Mr. Rippy has indeed won the prize.

I'd also like to point out that, if I do absolutely nothing else as a member of this community, I can at least be proud of the fact that I have created this highly coveted award.

Big Phil · Post by **Big Phil** » 2007-06-20 06:05pm

Tasoth wrote:I would have used a garbage lid to try and bounce the little shit away from me when it pounced. But other then that, that man did much better then I would have.

My 23 lb. Jack Russell Terrier packs a hell of a wallop when he crashes into me playing ball; a similarly sized cat trying to kill you will probably knock the lid out of your hand on the first impact; if your lid is plastic, you might as well not even waste the time and effort using it as a shield.