Colorado Parks and Wildlife says safely living with Colorado’s lions is possible

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Warmer weather and more time outside mean more interactions with nature. More specifically, Colorado’s elusive mountain lions.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife team tweeted warnings to help people stay safe and aware during dawn and dusk.

Wildlife authorities said mountain lions have been spotted more and more in proximity to neighborhoods.

This warning comes a week after a man in Chaffee county was clawed in the head by a mountain lion while in his hot tub.

Home and wildlife video cameras have captured many sightings.

But now, wildlife experts have a message of warning.

Mountain lions follow their primary prey, deer. And since deer have taken up residence in Colorado’s cities, mountain lions are more common.

“Because of how many deer we have in the Springs, it’s a lot more common to see them in the Springs looking for their natural food source,” District Wildlife Manager Aaron Berscheid said. “As long as we keep them eating their natural food source, which would be the deer and the rabbits, then that’s what we are looking for.”

Experts say humans hardly ever see them, but Ring doorbells are capturing their evening and dusk adventures.

“It’s just a mountain lion doing what a mountain lion does,” Berscheid said. “They will move through backyards and look for things to eat. And honestly, if they are in backyards in close proximity to humans as we would think, they know when the humans are around, and they are not going to want to be around or visible when a human is around.”

Experts also said being aware of your surroundings during hikes and keeping your pet on a leash with your kids close is essential.

For more information on the mountain lion, click here for safety precautions when interacting with mountain lions.

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