Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it euthanized the mountain lion Monday after wildlife officers determined it had become a “threat to human health and safety.”
SILVERTHORNE, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said it euthanized a mountain lion it believes was involved in several animal attacks.
In a news release, CPW said it captured and euthanized the mountain lion in Silverthorne on Monday, Feb. 12.
The agency believes it is the same lion that killed three goats and attacked a dog earlier this month. CPW said the lion was a female, between 1.5-2 years old.
After CPW took reports of a second incident involving a goat over the weekend, the agency said it determined the lion “had lost all fear of humans and had become a threat to human health and safety.”
The goat was killed and taken from a home in Silverthorne on Saturday, Feb. 10, CPW said.
The agency said wildlife officers found the mountain lion by following tracks and drag marks in the snow to an area where the lion had stored the body of the goat. After spotting the lion there, the agency set a trap overnight and captured the lion. After immobilizing the big cat with a tranquilizer gun, wildlife officials said it took the lion away from the area, where it was then humanely euthanized.
According to the release, both depredation incidents occurred in early February.
The first reported incident was on Thursday, Feb. 1, where CPW said an investigation confirmed that a mountain lion had killed three goats.
Days later on Feb. 4, wildlife officers responded to reports of a mountain lion that bit a dog in Silverthorne. The agency said the dog’s owner was able to scare the mountain lion away and took the dog to a veterinarian where it was treated for injuries. The dog was later released.
> Video below: CPW warns of mountain lions in Summit County after responding to several attacks
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A spokeswoman for CPW’s Northwest Region said the agency was able to identify the mountain lion because the big cats will return to the location where they store their prey.
“Wildlife officers placed the trap where the goat was found and captured the mountain lion sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. Based on this behavior and the contents found in the lion’s stomach, we are confident this is the same mountain lion responsible for the depredation on Saturday evening,” the spokeswoman said in an email to 9NEWS.
“CPW does investigate each incident. We do know other lions are in the area,” she said. “While we can’t say for sure that this is the same lion involved in the first goat depreciation or the incident with the dog, from our investigation, we are confident it is the same based on the track size and proximity of all three locations.”
CPW said in its news release they do not believe this is the same lion that attacked a dog near the Keystone Ranch Golf Course in late January. The agency said it searched for that lion but couldn’t find it.
“These are unfortunate situations,” area wildlife manager Jeromy Huntington said in the release. “Incidents like these serve as a good reminder that we live in mountain lion country. While we believe we were able to remove the mountain lion responsible for recent incidents, it’s important we continue to be aware of our surroundings and follow best practices for living in mountain lion country.”
CPW reminds everyone living in mountain lion habitats to avoid letting their pets out between dusk and dawn, and to supervise children when they play outside. To scare a mountain lion away from your property, CPW said to make loud noises, like yelling, setting off an alarm or banging pots and pans together.
To report a mountain lion sighting or encounter in Summit County, contact the Hot Sulphur Springs CPW office at 970-725-6200.
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