A Colorado camper is claiming self-defense after killing a mountain lion final week. On Sept. 26, state wildlife officers responded to a report of an aggressive mountain lion at a campground west of Cañon Metropolis. After they arrived, they discovered a person with a useless mountain lion on the hood of his Jeep, in line with a information launch from Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW).
The person, nonetheless unidentified by authorities, mentioned he was sitting exterior his automobile together with his canine the night time of Sept. 25 when he observed a mountain lion approaching. His canine, a husky, attacked the lion when it was about 10 ft away. At this level, the person grabbed a shovel and killed the mountain lion with strikes to the pinnacle, in line with the discharge.
The CPW officer investigating the incident described the lion as a feminine weighing about 95 kilos. Additional inspection revealed the lion had an damage to its entrance proper paw and scratches alongside its again. Wildlife officers mentioned the incident was probably a case of self-defense and can ship the lion’s physique to an animal well being lab for a necropsy.
The case stays an open investigation, officers mentioned.
“As a result of the person suffered no accidents and was by no means touched by the lion, this incident doesn’t qualify as a mountain lion assault beneath CPW pointers,” officers mentioned within the launch.
Mountain Lions Coming to Colorado Poll
In accordance with officers, mountain lion assaults on people are uncommon in Colorado. CPW has recorded simply 25 lion assaults on people since 1990. Nevertheless, different circumstances have been reported lately, together with a person “clawed within the head” in 2023 whereas sitting in a sizzling tub close to Nathrop, Colo.
Nevertheless, this feline predator has additionally change into a supply of political division in Colorado. This November, the state’s residents will vote on a poll measure aspiring to ban all state-managed looking of mountain lions. The poll initiative started with a petition from a gaggle referred to as Cats Aren’t Trophies, which claims that Colorado’s present looking program ends in “pointless killing” and is a “merciless, unjustifiable apply.”
The group claims that mountain lion hunters solely kill the animals to acquire “trophies” and that hunters aren’t harvesting the meat, as required by state legislation for a authorized hunt.
GearJunkie’s personal Looking Editor Rachelle Schrute took challenge with that evaluation, as “mountain lions are my favourite meat,” she mentioned. In the identical editorial, GJ’s Editorial Director Sean McCoy argued in opposition to the poll measure, which “erodes the basic pillars of conservation and removes a viable, wholesome meals supply,” he wrote.
Colorado voters will determine the way forward for the state’s looking program throughout subsequent month’s election.
Within the meantime, Colorado wildlife officers have tried to keep away from the talk, stating that they stand behind their present administration plan. And if you happen to’re fearful about mountain lion assaults, they ended their assertion about final week’s assault with some tips on the best way to keep away from conflicts with these harmful animals.
Be taught extra about “residing with mountain lions” on the Colorado Parks & Wildlife web site.
