Mountain Lion Naps Under Deck In Boulder
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - The owners of a home in North Boulder discovered that a mountain lion was napping under their backyard deck Friday.
"My wife was in the back yard, and glanced over, and said 'Wow. There's a huge mountain lion,'" said Jim Gordon, who had lived in the home for about a decade.
"I think it's exciting to live in a place where the wildlife is in your backyard," said his neighbor, Luciana Cordova.
Such wildlife running through the neighborhood is not a very common sight.
The big cat curled up under the deck at 19th Street and Tyler Road for nearly four hours, officials said.
"We've had bobcats and deer and just about everything else. But now we have a lion," Gordon told CBS4's Melissa Garcia.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers used a dart in an effort to tranquilize the snoozing mountain lion. The dart, however, did not inject.
Saturday, officers updated the situation saying they trapped the cat Friday night and it was released at around 2 p.m. Saturday. They say the cat is a 1.5-2.5 year old male.
The lion was released into Boulder County.
"Be aware and take precautions as far as keeping your cats inside. Your dogs, keep them on a leash," said Jason Clay, a spokesperson for CPW.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.