lion sitings in suburban Boulder CO more common in winter

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http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/jan/21 ... in-winter/

Cougars common in winter

Rangers post signs after mountain lion sightings this week

By Vanessa Miller Camera Staff Writer
Monday, January 21, 2008


Photo by Mark Leffingwell
A woman and her dog start to walk the McClintock Trail at Chautauqua Park, but ended up deciding not to after seeing a warning sign posted about mountain lion activity in the area.

Wildlife officers last week responded to several mountain lion sightings in Boulder-area neighborhoods and along open-space hiking trails. Rangers even posted a sign Wednesday near Chautauqua Park warning visitors to beware of a lion spotted there.

Those reports are among numerous mountain lion sightings this month in the more residential areas of Boulder County, and wildlife officers are stressing that lions -- and bobcats, for that matter -- don't have an "off-season" like hibernating bears.


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"They're definitely active year round," said Tyler Baskfield, a Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman.

Baskfield said some people think the large cats are less likely to sneak down from the foothills during colder months, making those residents less cautious. Instead, he said, people need to be prudent year-round.

Division of Wildlife officers said spring and winter actually bring in the most mountain lion sightings -- probably because there's less vegetation in the higher country, and the animals are searching for food.

Mountain lion tips
Precautions to take in areas where mountain lions are common:

Walk in groups, making plenty of noise.

Keep children close.

Do not run or jog, it may stimulate the lion's instinct to chase and attack.

Pets and predators do not mix, do not walk pets.

If you come upon a mountain lion:

Stay calm.

Talk calmly yet firmly to it.

Move slowly.

Stop or back away slowly. Do not run.

Raise your arms to appear larger.

If the mountain lion is aggressive:

Throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on.

Do not crouch down or turn your back.

Source: Colorado Division of Wildlife

Pete Taylor, lead ranger with Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks Department, said his team also gets "lots" of mountain lion reports year-round -- especially in the winter.

"We actually get more sightings this time of year than any other time," Taylor said.

Wednesday's lion was seen walking along the Enchanted Mesa Trail, which can be accessed by the McClintock Trailhead in Chautauqua Park. Rangers posted a sign at the trailhead informing the public of the sighting. Taylor said his department does that to give people as much education as possible before they head out.

"We put them at the start of a trail so people know to go somewhere else, if they want to," he said. "We are trying to keep encounters with lions down to a minimum."

Rangers also occasionally post temporary signs requiring pets be leashed in areas where lions have been seen.

"And, if we know a lion has killed a deer and cached it in the area, we will close a trail to give the lion time to feed," Taylor said.

On Jan. 12, a 71-year-old woman said a "young mountain lion" ran toward her when she stepped outside her north Boulder home. The cat stopped about eight feet from Jean Botsch, who slammed the lid of her trash can to scare it.

Botsch called authorities, and rangers canvassed the neighborhood for the lion. Initially, they couldn't find the animal, but when it returned later rangers determined it was a bobcat, said a Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill.

Bobcats are smaller than mountain lions, and they feed on smaller prey. They can be confused with mountain lion kittens, which are spotted. But lions have much larger and longer tails than bobcats.