A 150 lb Mountain lion trapped up tree by a 17 lb Jack Russell dog

A mountain lion found it was no match for a Jack Russell terrier which trapped it up a tree on a farm in the US state of South Dakota.

The dog's owner, Chad Strenge, heard frantic barking near the family's farm in Colman, Moody County.

He discovered the 150lb (68kg) male lion, also known as a cougar, clinging to the top of a tree with 17lb (8kg) terrier Jack at the bottom.

Mr Strenge, helped by his dog, chased the mountain lion and shot it dead.

"He trees cats all the time," Mr Strenge told The Argus Leader newspaper. "I suppose he figured it was just a cat."

Professor Jonathan Jenks, an expert on cougar migration, said hunters usually needed two or three hounds to chase a lion up a tree.

He said the cougar was probably not hungry enough to attack Jack.

"It very well could have lost a territory and decided to take off from the Black Hills and head this way," he told The Argus Leader.

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