Authorities are reporting that a mountain lion attacked a 5-year-old boy in his front yard 10-miles northwest of Aspen, CO last night at 8pm.

The boy was playing in his yard when the mountain lion attacked.  His mother heard screaming, ran out, and physically took her son away from the attacking cat.

The boy received injuries to his face, head, and neck.  The mother received injuries to her hand and legs but has already been released from the hospital.

The boy was transported to a Denver hospital in fair condition.

Locals reported seeing two mountain lions in the vicinity.  One cat has already been caught in the front yard where the attack happened and killed.  Authorities are currently hunting the other cat with intent to kill.

A necropsy will be performed on the killed mountain lion to confirm if it was the attacker.

The last reported mountain lion attack in Colorado happened in July 2015.  A lion attacked a fisherman near Dostero, CO.  The man was injured on his back and treated and released at a local clinic.  The lion in question was a yearling and was tracked down and killed.

There have been 3 fatal mountain lion attacks in the state of Colorado since 1991.

Mountain lion attacks on humans are rare.

MOUNTAIN LION INFO:

Diet

Mountain lions eat large mammals such as deer, and smaller mammals such as mice, squirrels, porcupines, raccoons, rabbits and beavers.

Population

There are an estimated 30,000 mountain lions in the western United States. One mountain lion subspecies, the Florida panther, is critically endangered with a population of less than 100 individuals.

Range

With the exception of humans, the mountain lion has the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere. They are found from Canada to Argentina. In North America, they can be found from British Columbia and southern Alberta to California and Texas. Small populations can be found east of the Mississippi River. The Florida panther is found in isolated populations in Florida.

Behavior

Mountain lions are solitary animals. They are very territorial and actively avoid other cats except during courtship. Their ranges can vary in size from 10 square miles to around 370 square miles; females tend to have smaller ranges than males.

Mountain lions are active hunters and may travel long distances in search of food. They hunt alone and attack from behind, breaking the neck of their prey by biting it at the base of the skull. After killing their prey, they will bury it and leave it, coming back to feed on it when hungry.

Reproduction

Mating Season: Commonly from December to March, but can happen at any time during the year.
Gestation: 82-96 days.
Litter size: 2-4 kittens.

Females have two to four kittens, which the mother raises alone. The kittens nurse for two months, and then start to travel with their mother at which time she teaches them to hunt. They will remain with their mother from 1 ½ – 2 years. Males that enter another male’s territory have been known to kill the kittens so that females will be more willing to mate.

Threats to Mountain Lions

They have long been persecuted and hunted as a threat to livestock. Current threats also include habitat loss and poaching.