Northern Colorado open space reopens after mountain lion encounter
An open space in Northern Colorado has reopened to hikers after officials temporarily closed the area following reports of a mountain lion encounter.
Larimer County Natural Resources says they confirmed a recent report of a mountain lion "exhibiting suspicious behavior toward a hiker for an extended distance" at the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space.
Park ranger and district manager for the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, Patrol Lt. Stephen Gibson, said the mountain lion did a "fake charge" at the man, then followed him for another mile down the trail at around 75-80 yards away.
"Hopefully, no one ever has to experience this in the wild, but the individual yesterday was followed. He carried bear spray with him, that can be useful. He did all the right stuff," said Gibson. "He spoke calmly. When it initially came at him, he threw sticks and stones at it and yelled at it, and then eventually it followed him for a while, but it kept a good distance, and he was able to walk away slowly from it."
Officials closed the area, including the main and Sonderberg trailheads, as a precaution on Thursday while park rangers worked alongside Colorado Parks and Wildlife personnel to search for the lion. Gibson said that, while they were able to locate tracks, they were unable to find the mountain lion.
He said it's possible the animal was guarding a food source when it confronted the hiker.
"There could be a number of different reasons why a mountain lion might do that. Maybe it had a 'food cache' as they say, a downed deer in the area, and it was just trying to spook this individual away from its food source, things like that," explained Gibson.
LCDNR reopened the area on Friday and posted a notice on social media about heightened mountain lion activity in the open space. Park rangers encouraged anyone who encounters mountain lions in the area to contact CPW's Fort Collins office at (970) 472-4300.
This incident comes less than a month after a woman was killed in Larimer County in an apparent mountain lion attack. The animals are common in the region, but fatal attacks are rare. The attack earlier this month was the first fatal mountain lion attack on a human in Colorado in almost 30 years.
Gibson said it's common to find mountain lions across the Front Range, and part of LCDNR's mission is to manage the environment, the animals that live within the ecosystem, and the humans that interact with it.
"This area, and most of the Front Range, is full of mountain lions. They have a pretty big territory. The mountain lions have been here for a long time; we're just obviously encroaching on their habitat. So, we've just got to learn how to live together," said Gibson. "And you're going to have encounters with wildlife out here where there's bears, a fox, or whatever it is, and mountain lions are part of it. And it can be dangerous, as we all know from recent history. But if you take precautions, you can definitely avoid those contacts, hopefully."
CPW encourages everyone to walk or hike in groups in areas where mountain lions are common and to make noise to avoid surprising a lion. They also suggest carrying a sturdy walking stick and advise hikers to keep children and pets close by in areas where mountain lions are known to roam.
If you do come across a mountain lion, CPW said to "Speak calmly, move slowly, and avoid running. Raise your arms, open your jacket, and pick up small children or pets to make yourself appear larger."
