VIDEO: Mountain lion chases coyotes away from carcass in Colorado

Video footage that’s going viral online captures an animal encounter unlike one you’ve probably seen before.

As seen in the broad daylight video, a mountain lion in the Estes Park area was spotted chasing at least three coyotes away from a carcass it’s guarding.

The encounter took place on March 11 and was captured by a wildlife photographer who was on the lookout for bluebirds at the time. That’s when the photographer spotted three coyotes feeding on a carcass before being scared away by an approaching mountain lion.

As the photographer watched the scene unfold, they witnessed the mountain lion scare the coyotes off and feed before resting in the brush, at which point the coyotes would come out and feed on the carcass, eventually to be scared off again.

The photographer reports the carcass was that of an elk that was taken down by the big cat earlier in the day, with the mountain lion and the coyotes remaining near the scene for about two days until they had eaten all they could want.

Watch the interesting encounter below:

According to the USDA, mountain lions will generally consume a kill over the course of multiple nights, defending the kill in the meantime. Generally, mountain lions will try to hide a kill by covering it in leaves, sticks, or snow, or by moving it into a tree if possible.

Encounters like the one captured on video probably happen quite often, though they are rarely filmed in broad daylight.

There’s quite a bit of size differential between a mountain lion and a coyote, with a mountain lion often weighing more than 100 pounds and coyotes typically topping out around 40. Despite their size disadvantage, the persistence and teamwork of the coyotes can help them get in a meal in cases like this.

Photo Credit: Seisho So (iStock). (Seisho So)
Photo Credit: Seisho So (iStock). (Seisho So)

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