UVU Alum Kyle Burgess Shares Experience After 'Cougar Guy' Video Goes Viral

On Oct. 7, Kyle Burgess, a UVU alumnus, went for what he thought would be a relaxing run in Rock Canyon near Provo.

   

On Oct. 7, 2020, Kyle Burgess, a UVU alumnus, went for what he thought would be a relaxing run in Slate Canyon near Provo, Utah. During the run, he filmed an adrenaline-inducing encounter he had with a mama cougar who was protecting her cubs on the trail. 

Wanting to share it with family and friends, Burgess posted the encounter on YouTube. The video went viral overnight, and Burgess was thrust into international fame — interview requests from Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper, the BBC, Australian TV, and many others poured in. To date, the cougar encounter video has had more than 6 million views.

UVU caught up with Burgess and his wife Whitney to talk about their overnight fame experience and what to do if it happens to you. Check out the interview below.