CPW investigating self-defense claim in killing of mountain lion in Fremont County

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is investigating the recent killing of a mountain lion by a man in Fremont County.

According to CPW, an officer responded on Saturday, September 26, to a report that an aggressive mountain lion had been killed by a man with a shovel. The officer found a man with a dead mountain lion on the hood of his jeep in a campground west of Canon City, in Fremont County.

CPW said the man told the responding officer that he was sitting outside his recreational vehicle with his dog the previous night when a mountain lion approached them. The man said his dog, a husky, began growling and barking as the lion approached. When the lion got within about 10 feet, the dog engaged it and the man grabbed a shovel, which he used to strike the lion in the head and kill it, CPW said. The officer described the lion as a female that weighed about 95 pounds.

According to CPW, the officer's preliminary finding was that the man was in fear of his life and acted in self-defense when confronted by a lion acting unusual and extremely aggressive. Further inspection of the lion revealed it had an injury to its front right paw and scratches along its back. The lion’s body was shipped to a CPW animal health lab for a necropsy.

The agency said that because the man suffered no injuries and was never touched by the lion, this incident does not qualify as a mountain lion attack under CPW guidelines. The investigation remains open and CPW will make not make further comment.

CPW said mountain lion attacks are rare in Colorado. The agency has recorded 25 lion attacks on humans since 1990. 

For more information, visit CPW's page on living with mountain lions.