Mountain lion sightings near homes in Chipita Park raise concerns
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Scrolling through neighborhood apps like 'Nextdoor,' it doesn't take long to come across a post warning of a mountain lion sighting in-and-around Colorado Springs.
While most understand we are living in mountain lion and bear country, it's still concerning for many homeowners to see a predator sniffing at their door. On Tuesday around 6:45 p.m., a homeowner in Chipita Park picked up four mountain lions on her home surveillance video.
The homeowner, who didn't want to be identified, told KRDO she's lived in the area for decades and has only ever seen one or two at a time. Since the creatures are typically solitary, four traveling together concerned some commenters on Nextdoor. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says there's a simple explanation.
“It’s most likely a mom with three kittens that are probably about ready to get kicked out because they don’t really have spots anymore," said Cassidy English, District Wildlife Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "But they’ll stay with mom for about a year and a half, so it’s not unusual to see multiple mountain lions together.”
Jen Jardeleza caught a mountain lion on her home security system last Thursday and Saturday in the Peregrine neighborhood of Colorado Springs, near Blodgett Open Space. The big cat can be seen in clear footage roaming her yard overnight around 3 and 5 a.m.
But mountain lions aren’t the only animal generating a lot of reactions on Nextdoor. A picture of a bobcat was recently posted on the app, spotted in a neighborhood off of Holland Park Boulevard in Colorado Springs. Chris Hartman, who took the picture, says the cat was walking near the entrance to the Sinton Trail.
Bobcats are a lot less dangerous than mountain lions. Wildlife officials say they are typically very afraid of humans and stay far away, which is why sightings are so rare.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife doesn’t think these creatures getting bolder and coming around humans more. They believe we just have more access to capturing them on camera than ever before, thanks to smartphones and the popularity of home security systems.
“Especially at night, mountain lions come up to houses all the time," said English. "With Ring Doorbells, we get more and more reports of that happening just because it’s now recorded. Before Ring Doorbells, we didn’t know what was happening outside our houses in the middle of the night.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says mountain lion attacks are extremely rare, but if you ever come across one in real life: make yourself big, yell at the cat to scare it, and never run away. Running from a mountain lion could spark its predatory instincts.
You're also encouraged to trim any bushes around your house, as mountain lions like to hide in the brush. Though they're nocturnal animals, they can also be spotted during the day.
