“We sincerely hope we never encounter this mountain lion again and it lives a good life far far from people,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife‘s Southwest Region (CPW SW) offers.
In Colorado, mountain lions and bear management rests on a “two-strike” policy. One human-wildlife encounter or incident may be a fluke. But two? That’s grounds for relocation. Such was the case for this “nuisance” mountain lion that had taken up residence in Pagosa Springs, then snatched a dog at a local park.
“Last Friday, we relocated a nuisance mountain lion away from Pagosa Springs. District Wildlife Manager Nate Martinez had encountered this lion multiple times in a few days for different incidents,” CPW begins on Twitter.
“This lion was suspected of grabbing a dog at Yamaguchi Park earlier in the week,” they continue. Thankfully, “the dog survived.”
But the lion was “then was seen again under a porch at a neighboring home.” As far as CPW is concerned, that’s two well-earned strikes towards the endangerment of locals and their pets.
To relocate, “The lion was tranquilized with a dart gun and underwent a health assessment. It was then issued two ear tags. It was then loaded into a trap and given a reversal drug to counteract the tranquilizer,” CPW continues.
Not all megafauna respond to tranquilizing the same way, however. In this case, the cougar wasn’t down for long.
The lion was tranquilized with a dart gun and underwent a health assessment. It was then issued two ear tags.
— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) July 3, 2023
It was then loaded into a trap and given a reversal drug to counteract the tranquilizer. pic.twitter.com/T1Ivq1J6tA
In this case, “The mountain lion quickly came to and was ready to be escorted far away from Pagosa Springs for release,” CPW adds.
Then, it was of to a local Colorado national forest, of which there are 11.
Colorado mountain lion sent ‘back into the wild deep in the national forest where it will have suitable habitat and plenty of prey’
For both this cougar’s safety and that of local residents, it was off “back into the wild deep in the national forest where it will have suitable habitat and plenty of prey” after release.
At the site, the mountain lion ran off “and was all well,” CPW lauds. “We sincerely hope we never encounter this lion again and it lives a good life far far from people.”
CPW also provides footage of the successful release. It’s a pertinent example of proper wildlife management and a “best case scenario” with a “nuisance” lion:
The lion was released back into the wild deep in the national forest where it will have suitable habitat and plenty of prey. At the release site, it ran off and was all well.
— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) July 3, 2023
We sincerely hope we never encounter this lion again and it lives a good life far far from people. pic.twitter.com/jcud4ighvN
As CPW SE reiterates, “This lion was relocated because it was getting too habituated to being in town in public spaces.”
This, of course, “could present a danger to human safety.”
Mountain lion attacks are rare, but they do occur. Pets and poultry are much more common victims, however.
For more on mountain lions in Colorado and what to do in encounters, see CPW’s Living with Lions document.
