Mountain Lion Drags Deer Under Colorado Home, Eats It as Family Watches
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.19.15
A family in Colorado Springs got a surprise lesson in how nature works last week when they discovered that a mountain lion stowed away under their house’s deck. The family was first warned about the big cat’s presence when a neighbor saw the animal in the area, and as it turns out, it was using the deck as a safe place to store a freshly killed deer.
“Evidently the mountain lion wanted his deer more than the kids, so we lucked out today,” homeowner Steve Luebbert told CBS 4.
Perhaps the mountain lion should have eaten faster. Conservation officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife came to the home and used a beanbag gun to dislodge the feline. The deer carcass was later disposed.
Officials say that while mountain lions only very rarely attack people, the cats can still be dangerous, especially when it comes to young lions venturing out on their own for the first time. Inexperienced lions are more likely to be found in urban areas, and are also more likely to consider pets or children as easy prey. Experts advise staying calm when encountering one of these predators, and attempting to appear as large as possible. Do not approach the animal and step back slowly instead of running away. If you have small children, consider picking them up and holding them up high so they will not panic. If a mountain lion does attack you, fight back as aggressively as you can.
“Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back,” stated Colorado Parks and Wildlife on its website. “People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and their bare hands successfully. Remain standing or try to get back up!”
You can see a brief interview with Luebbert, as well as footage of the lion, below:
