“This is a troubling situation, and we are very concerned for the safety and welfare of the people in this area.” — Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Residents of Edwards, Colo., received a warning from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials yesterday. A group of eight to 10 mountain lions is “roaming neighborhoods in the community.”
The warning came after CPW acknowledged it received reports of eyewitness sightings, suspicious animal carcasses, and encounters between lions and dogs in the neighborhood.
Matt Yamashita, CPW district wildlife manager, said in a statement the agency believes the group consists of two females, each with a litter of three to four juvenile lions.
Teaching Young Lions to Hunt
“The young lions are nearly full grown, as large or possibly larger than their mother,” Yamashita said. “It appears the female lions are teaching their young to hunt among a human-populated area.”
Yamashita went on to say the lions’ presence in the town of about 10,000 residents “is not a sustainable situation.”
JT Romatzke, CPW northwest regional manager, said officials will continue to monitor the lions’ behavior. They will then decide on the “appropriate management action that is best for the public and the lions.”
CPW said it was considering relocating the lions. But Romatzke noted the agency “will not jeopardize the safety of people in other areas of the state.”
The biggest concern, CPW officials said, is the threat any predators pose once they’ve lost their fear of humans.
Anyone who spots a mountain lion in a residential area should call the Glenwood Springs CPW office at 970-947-2920 during business hours, or the Colorado State Patrol Dispatch after hours at 970-824-6501.
