Dog barking at ‘raccoon’ under porch leads Colorado homeowners to a mountain lion
Homeowners in Boulder discovered a mountain lion hiding under their porch, forcing officials to tranquilize and relocate the big cat, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
The owners of the house made the startling discovery after their dog alerted them to a disturbance, the release said. They went outside and looked under the porch, expecting to find a raccoon as they often see in the area.
Instead, they found the mountain lion, tucked under the porch that had only around a foot of clearance from the ground.
The homeowners reported the animal at around 7:30 a.m., and officials from Animal Protection and Open Space & Mountain Parks were the first to arrive at the scene, the release said. An officer from Colorado Parks and Wildlife tranquilized the animal, and officials were able to pull him out by 10 a.m.
The mountain lion was then released in a “remote area” in southwest Larimer County by 1 p.m., the release said. Officials said it was a sub-adult male, in good condition and weighing 115 to 120 pounds.
The officer who tranquilized the mountain lion, Tyler Asnicar, said that “relocation was our best approach in this case,” according to the release. That decision was based on the time of day the animal was found and that he was found in a confined space, where he could be safely tranquilized.
“One factor we look at is location when we get cats that come into town,” Asnicar said. “This one was pretty far east in Boulder in a populated area and it is not a good situation to have a big predator like that close to so many people. It is better for the people and the cat to try to move it.”
Asnicar added that several pets in town have been taken by sub-adult mountain lions, who could be siblings of the one found under the porch.
“Cats are going to come and go, it is not a new thing and it isn’t going to go away, so know that if you are out and about in town you have a chance of coming upon a mountain lion or other predators as well like bears, coyotes and foxes,” Asnicar said, according to the release. “So keep an eye on your pets, keep an eye on your kids and teach them what to do if they were to encounter a mountain lion or bear.”
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