A Colorado man recently killed a mountain lion with his shovel, reportedly in a bid to protect his dog from being eaten by the wild animal.
Knewz.com has learned that the incident occurred in a campground west of Cañon City in Fremont County, Colorado.
According to a report by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the man told game agents that a 95-pound female mountain lion charged him and his dog, a husky, on the night of September 25.
The next morning, a wildlife officer responded to a report about an “aggressive mountain lion” killed at the Cañon City campground.
When the officer arrived at the scene, he found the man – whose name has not been revealed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife – with the dead mountain lion on the hood of his Jeep.
“The man said his dog, a husky, began growling and barking as the lion approached… When the lion got within about 10 feet, the dog engaged it and the man grabbed a shovel, which he used to strike the lion in the head, killing it,” the report from Colorado Parks and Wildlife read.
“The CPW officer’s preliminary finding was that the man was in fear of his life and acted in self-defense when confronted by a lion acting unusual and extremely aggressive,” the report further mentioned.
“Because the man suffered no injuries and was never touched by the lion, this incident does not qualify as a mountain lion attack under CPW guidelines.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is still investigating the incident.
It has been reported that the mountain lion had suffered previous injuries, including a wound on its front right paw and scratches on its back.
Mountain lions are solitary creatures of calm demeanor and rarely confront humans voluntarily. However, they are stealthy and relentless predators, which makes them quite dangerous.
The Mountain Lion Foundation writes in this regard:
“A relentless hunter. The search for prey is driven by the cat’s hunger and, in the case of a female, the need to feed growing kittens. The hungrier the cat, the greater the tendency to roam, with effort focused on areas where prey was previously found.”
According to the National Wildlife Federation, these animals hunt at night, “often lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord.”
“Typically they prey on deer, but also feed on smaller animals, even insects, when necessary. Like all cats, mountain lions are strict carnivores, and they only rarely consume vegetation,” the National Wildlife Foundation added.
It has been reported that mountain lions have been known to hunt and eat dogs in Colorado, with residents of Nederland, a community in Boulder County, reporting that the animals killed 23 dogs in 2022 alone.
Towards the end of 2022, mountain lions reportedly killed 15 dogs in a span of 30 days.
Chi Neiman, a Republican Wyoming House representative and experienced mountain lion hunter, said in a statement to Cowboy State Daily, “Don’t kid yourself, mountain lions love dogs.”
“They will kill and eat dogs if they get a chance.”
Neiman further said that the mountain lion that was recently killed probably turned to dogs for sustenance because its injuries made it difficult for the animal to hunt its usual prey.
“I would say that if there was a dog there, and that lion was hurt and trying to get some food, I would think that dog is what drew it in,” he explained.
“As far as killing one (mountain lion) with a shovel, that would take some effort,” the Wyoming House representative added.
