Boy attacked by mountain lion

Associated Press ^ | April 15, 2006 | Associated Press

[george76]

A 7-year-old boy hiking with his family was attacked Saturday by a mountain lion...

The boy, whose name was not released, was apparently in a group taking a short hike at a scenic area of Flagstaff Mountain, Division of Wildlife spokesman Tyler Baskfield said.

"The father turned and saw the cat had a hold of the young boy," ...

The group began screaming at the cat and throwing rocks and was able to free the boy...

the mountain is prime habitat for the cats, and there had been several recent sightings of mountain lions in west Boulder.

[null and void]

Nothing like being sure...

[george76]

Woman attacked by mountain lion

DURANGO (AP) - A woman scratched by a mountain lion while sitting in her backyard is recovering and undergoing rabies treatment.


"The wounds inside are still healing," said Annette Hayes said. "I'm nervous because I still have to walk the dog at night and let the puppy out at 6 a.m. when it's dark."

Hayes and her husband, David, were sitting on their hillside deck overlooking the Animas River the night of Aug. 8 when she felt weight on her shoulders and pain.

"I jumped up and screamed, 'Something got me' and I ran into the house," she said. "I could feel blood."

David Hayes said he caught a glimpse of something behind his wife and heard a thud.

The division estimates there are between 4,500 and 5,000 mountain lions in Colorado.

http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=dee6a209-0abe-421a-0073-042ad5ce3743&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

[george76]

Close encounters of the cougar kind


Wildlife officers report multiple mountain lion sightings in midvalley.

Kenyon was "half awake" while out on a walk with her two dogs shortly after dawn when one of her Labrador retrievers started barking. Kenyon looked around to see what her dog, Boo, was excited about and spotted a mountain lion crouching on the stairs to a deck on the outside of her house in the Dakota subdivision, just downvalley from Blue Lake.

Boo wanted to play; the cat didn't. The mountain lion hissed, wound up a paw in swatting position and bared "large fangs," Kenyon said. Boo quickly got over her urge to play and Kenyon was able to grab her collar, pull her away and get both dogs inside. She estimated she was within 25 feet of the mountain lion when she grabbed Boo.

It was one of several recent mountain lion sightings in the midvalley.



http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20050325/NEWS/103250025/0/FRONTPAGE

[george76]

Mountain lions are in our midst

cat wasn’t in evidence, but the remains of his attack were seen in full view.

According to Police Chief Art Smythe, a bartender returning home from work in the wee hours of Monday morning came upon a dead fawn in the parking lot of Mountain View (near the housing office).

Wildlife officer Laurie Smith was awakened and called to the scene, where she noted the bite (around the neck) and other details to be consistent with that of a mountain lion.

Smith’s colleague Tina White confirmed on Tuesday that the deer had been mauled by a mountain lion. What makes this attack noteworthy is its proximity to human beings and full-scale development.

“If it had been a couple hundred feet up the hill, we’d have never known,” said White. She went on to add that: “Lions have always been here” as their main prey is deer, of which there is no shortage here.

But the fact that this cat came down into the condominium complex may prompt locals to be a little more careful about the whereabouts of small pets and even their children.

http://www.snowmassvillagesun.com/home.php?content=article&article=1781&PHPSESSID=3494c1dda8ce66d8e36c7936a2674911