As more people move to and recreate outdoors across Colorado, the more they cross paths with wildlife. Following that trend, there has been an increase in reports of mountain lion sightings this year in southwest Colorado.
Southwest Colorado is prime mountain lion habitat, as indicated by 107 mountain lion sightings already this year across the counties of Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan, which make up Area 15 of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Of the 18 areas in the state, that number is by far the most, with the next highest of 67 reported in Boulder County. The 107 sightings in the southwest corner have already surpassed the total of 72 reported in 2020
Still, of all the sightings reported to CPW’s Durango office this year, only five have been for lions displaying aggressive behavior.
Earlier this year, CPW launched an educational video series on YouTube about mountain lions.
“Mountain lions are rarely seen but are common throughout western Colorado,” said CPW senior wildlife biologist Jamin Grigg. “They prey primarily on deer and elk and are likely to be present anywhere deer and elk are abundant. They are generally shy around humans but are also very curious, similar to house cats.”
Technology has also contributed to more reported mountain lion sightings, with video doorbells picking up images that before went unseen.
“We are getting more calls now when someone picks up a lion on their doorbell camera,” said Area 15 Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Steve McClung. “That technology has led to people seeing a lot more lions and bears that have always been around our area, they just weren’t being seen as much.”
While sightings are increasing, attacks are not. Mountain lion attacks are relatively rare. There have been 23 known attacks of a mountain lion on a human since 1990 in Colorado.
Often, protective behavior by a mountain lion can be mistaken with predatory behavior. Grigg said mountain lions are ambush predators, meaning they rely on stealth and secrecy when hunting.
“If a lion allows you to see it, it’s likely not acting in a predatory manner,” he said.
What has been observed more commonly is protective behavior by mountain lions when they make an effort to direct a human away from a food source or its young kittens. Protective behavior can include bluff-charging – an act in which the lion will behave aggressively by walking toward a person and gesturing with its paws while vocalizing.
“When you see that, a lion likely has a kill or kittens nearby and is simply trying to encourage you to leave the area,” Grigg said. “Bluff-charging is a protective behavior.”
Human interactions with mountain lions will continue to rise as more people move into lion habitat and use hiking and running trails. That is paired with a presumed increase in lion numbers across an expanded range. It is always best practice to remain alert while recreating outdoors and to refrain from using headphones when hiking and running.
While there have been fewer than a dozen fatalities from mountain lion attacks across North America in the last century, CPW recommends a few tips for mountain lion encounters. One of the most important is to keep dogs on a leash. Many mountain lion encounters happen after a dog off leash discovers a lion’s cache of food or gets too close to kittens.
It can also be helpful and provide peace of mind to carry bear spray when traveling in the backcountry.
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