Mountain lion found under homeowner’s deck in Colorado city

By Breanna Sneeringer July 9, 2021 | updated 5 years ago

Photo Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) relocated a mountain lion earlier this week that was found lurking underneath a homeowner’s deck.

According to wildlife officials, a young female mountain lion was discovered under the deck of a home located near South Broadway Street and East Oxford Avenue in Englewood. She weighed about 60-pounds and was estimated to be around two years old.

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Wildlife officers responded to the home around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evening and tranquilized the mountain lion. It was then relocated to a more appropriate habitat in Douglas County.

This was the mountain lion’s hiding spot under the deck in Englewood. Could you imagine trying to deploy a tranquilizer dart lying down through that small opening?

Good skill by our wildlife officers. https://t.co/X1evBT87BI pic.twitter.com/cVpxxdncKO

— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) July 9, 2021

CPW shared a video of the mountain lion being released back into the wild on Friday morning.

The mountain lion was relocated out of town and into more appropriate habitat. Here is video of its release. pic.twitter.com/aIwlj9qDRV

— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) July 9, 2021

“The reason we chose to go hands on with this mountain lion was because it was so deep in the heart of the city,” said Area Wildlife Manager Matt Martinez. “We are glad this operation worked out so smoothly for that neighborhood and for the mountain lion. We’d like to thank the Englewood Police Department and Code Enforcement for assisting us in getting that lion out safely.”

CPW says the same mountain lion may have been spotted just 10 miles away in Centennial on July 6, but there is no way of knowing definitively. It’s possible the mountain lion navigated northwest up Willow Creek and Little Dry Creek and into Englewood.

Mountain lions may wander into urban areas in search of prey such as deer, skunks, raccoons or even pets or livestock.

Editor’s Note: If you encounter mountain lion on the trail, do not run. Make yourself as big as possible and make loud noises to scare the cat away. Throw things in the direction of the cat such as rocks or sticks without crouching down or turning around to pick up items. If attacked, fight back.

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Breanna Sneeringer

Reporter