When a tough-as-nails grandmother from Georgia came across a rabid bobcat on her driveway, she showed surprising strength when fighting it off.
46-years-old DeDe Phillips was working in her front yard in rural Hart County, when the aggressive bobcat wandered over and attacked her, going straight for her face.
The cat struck quickly, and DeDe was only warned of its presence after her neighbour’s dog began barking.
Luckily, DeDe is the daughter-in-law of a bobcat trapper and was able to turn the perilous situation around with a ferocious show of dominance….
Talking to the Athens Banner-Herald, DeDe said:
I took it straight to the ground and started inching my hands up to its throat,
The granny turned warrior then pressed her bare fingers around the beast’s throat, squeezing the life from it:
Once I got him where he wasn’t moving I started screaming for my daughter-in-law to call 911.
DeDe didn’t release the animal from her powerful grasp until her son came over and stabbed the bobcat ‘four or five times.’ She then knew it was definitely dead.
Ironically, she had just stuck a ‘Women who behave rarely make history’ bumper sticker to her truck when the bobcat wandered into her yard, the New York Post reports.
Although bobcat sightings are fairly rare, these animals are known to have attacked humans, with sick bobcats being particularly aggressive.
According to DeDe:
They go for your jugular . . . when they can get the vein you’re dead in a couple of minutes.
As a result of the attack, DeDe suffered damage to both her left and right index fingers as well as numerous bite and claw wounds to her hands, arms, chest and legs.
After finding out the bobcat had tested positive for rabies, DeDe also began a round of rabies shots.
DeDe’s cousin has now set up a Fundly.com page to cover the costs of her expensive medical treatment.
According to the page:
[DeDe] is a lady who would give you the shirt off her back and will drop whatever she is doing to come help!
I know because she has for me! She loves hard and is one heck of a woman! She is also having to go to a orthopedic doctor about her hands and will have to have some surgries done after all the swelling and infection is gone.
She currently has very little use of them and is in a lot of pain. She doesn’t have insurance so this is all going to cost alot! So if you are able please help! We also appreciate all the prayers we can get!
The page also offers some insight into the strong character of the badass granny:
When hearing her tell me the story yesterday, she just said she had to remain calm! In a situation like that I’m not sure anyone could have remained calm! But she did!
She’s one heck of a lady for sure! Reading some of the comments I giggle because even though some don’t know her, your comments are right on!
She has one more set to go, and we’re praying that the series she is taking is going to help! So we ask that you continue to keep her and her family in your prayers as she’s not out of the woods just yet!
So far the page has raised $25,169. You can donate for yourself here
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.