It’s no secret that mountain lions are often to blame for missing dogs and cats in Colorado – but a dead horse? A rancher told FOX 31 that might be the case.

Per the FOX 31 report, a Fort Collins area rancher is warning his neighbors, hikers, and riders to be on alert after three of his horses were attacked and one was killed in recent days. This is still a developing story and Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to follow-up, but either way, it’s an eye-opening incident for others in the Centennial State who may be caring for horses – a reminder to proceed with caution given predators that prowl in the night.

Obviously, horses come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, with the typical riding horse typically weighing between 900 and 1,200 pounds. Per Rocky Mountain National Park, this would put the weight of a horse in the same range as an elk, with elk weighing up to 1,100 pounds and being a potential source of prey for mountain lion. Mountain lion tend to go for smaller targets – deer, for example – but in some cases have been known to even attack and kill moose, a much larger species.

It’s also worth noting that while many people seem to assume mountain lions stick to the mountains, that’s not always the case. Mountain lions do venture into urbanized areas and flatter terrain in search of food if prey is present. The species is more prevalent in the mountains, but drainages off the foothills can provide an easy means of heading further east than what might be expected.

It will be interesting to see what conclusion Colorado Parks and Wildlife reaches related to the recent horse death. It seems like a mountain lion attack could be a likely candidate as black bears tend to avoid larger prey (and are mostly vegetarian) and while wolves have been present in mountainous areas west of Fort Collins, local ranches closer to the city would be a stretch. Technically, coyotes can kill elk, but generally that occurs when prey is weak and bogged down in snow – and it’s quite rare.

Either way, we’ll have to wait and see what the experts have to say about the situation. In the meantime, this serves as a tragic reminder to protect pets and livestock from the potential of an animal attack.

Read the full FOX 31 report here.

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