Elusive predator captured and killed after preying on goats in Colorado, officials say
Wildlife officials captured and killed an elusive predator suspected of killing goats in a Colorado town.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife received a livestock depredation report in Longmont on Saturday, Dec. 28, an agency spokesperson told McClatchy News in an email.
Wildlife officers found the goat kill “cached” — or stashed away, indicating a mountain lion depredation, officials said.
Officers set a trap, caught the adult female mountain lion the agency believes is responsible and killed it, officials said.
“When a mountain lion is depredating on livestock, it’s not a candidate for successful relocation,” officials said. “The animal has already learned that behavior, so you’re taking a lion with depredation experience and placing it in a new location where it’s likely to keep going after livestock.”
It’s possible the mountain lion was responsible for several other livestock depredations in the area over the past six months, but there’s no way to know for sure, officials said.
“Mountain lion activity is very common in Boulder County, especially during winter months when lions follow deer and elk down from higher elevations in the mountains,” officials said. “If mountain lions have been seen in the area, take care to secure livestock at night and keep pets leashed. Lions can be hazed by making loud noises and using outdoor lights to make them leave the area.”
Longmont is about a 20-mile drive northeast from Boulder.
What to do if you see a mountain lion
Mountain lions are typically “calm, quiet and elusive,” according to the National Park Service. While attacks involving mountain lions are rare, they are possible.
“Even so, the potential for being killed or injured by a mountain lion is quite low compared to many other natural hazards,” the National Park Service said on its website. “There is a far greater risk, for example, of being killed in an automobile accident with a deer than of being attacked by a mountain lion.”
Officials said there are some things you can do to prevent a mountain lion encounter from becoming an attack.
Stay calm and back away slowly.
Face the lion and stand up straight.
Don’t approach a mountain lion, especially if it’s with kittens.
Don’t run. It could stimulate a mountain lion’s chase instincts.
Pick up small children so they don’t panic or run away.
Don’t bend over or crouch down.
Throw things at the mountain lion if it continues to move toward you.
If the mountain lion attacks, fight back using anything around you.
Report all sightings, encounters or attacks to local park rangers or law enforcement.
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Elusive predator captured and killed after preying on goats in Colorado, officials say."
