On September 26, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officer in Cañon City, Colorado, responded to a report of an aggressive mountain lion that had been killed by a man with a shovel. The CPW officer found the man with a dead lion on the hood of his Jeep in a campground west of Cañon City, in Fremont County. The man told CPW 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, killing it.
In an interview with local TV station KRDO13, the man, identified as Andrew Johnson, said that he had never hunted or killed a wild animal before. Johnson said he was defending himself and his dog and describes how he hit the mountain lion several times before finally killing the wild animal. The way the man draped the mountain lion over his Jeep is sure to cause some controversy, however, the CPW 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. The officer described the lion as a female that weighed about 95 pounds. 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. As this remains an open investigation, CPW will have no further comment on the incident.
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.
Mountain lion attacks are rare in Colorado. CPW has recorded just 25 lion attacks on humans since 1990. Though mountain lion attacks are relatively rare, it is important to know how to avoid or manage potential encounters. To learn more about living with mountain lions in Colorado, go to https://cpw.state.co.us/living-mountain-lions.
To reduce the risk of problems with mountain lions on or near your property, CPW urges you to follow these simple precautions:
- Make lots of noise if you come and go during the times mountain lions are most active: dusk to dawn.
- Install outside lighting. Light areas where you walk so you could see a lion if one were present.
- Closely supervise children whenever they play outdoors. Make sure children are inside before dusk and not outside before dawn. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one.
- Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding places for lions. Make it difficult for lions to approach unseen.
- Planting non-native shrubs and plants that deer often prefer to eat encourages wildlife to come onto your property. Predators follow prey. Never feed any wildlife.
- Keep your pet under control. Roaming pets are easy prey and can attract lions. Bring pets in at night. If you leave your pet outside, keep it in a kennel with a secure top. Don’t feed pets outside; this can attract raccoons and other animals that are eaten by lions. Store all garbage securely.
- Place livestock in enclosed sheds or barns at night. Close doors to all outbuildings since inquisitive lions may go inside for a look.
This incident of a man killing a mountain lion with a shovel in a Colorado campground is shocking and raises concerns about wildlife safety. It’s crucial to find ways to coexist with these animals while ensuring the safety of campers. Discussions on wildlife management and human-animal interactions are more important than ever!