Hungry mountain lions more likely to hunt in residential areas

Mountain lions are generally wary of humans, and attacks are exceptionally rare. But new research suggests that when they are hungry, the cats throw caution to the wind and are likely to hunt in residential neighborhoods — and stay there if the hunting is good.

A new study by Colorado State University and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, used GPS tracking collars and camera traps to monitor lions near the fringes of Denver and Boulder. While well-fed lions steered clear of dense housing developments, those that had gone four to seven days without a kill had no problem moving through backyards and dense neighborhoods.

“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence indicating that an animal’s energetic state is very important in the decision-making process; animals will make riskier choices when hunger beckons,” researcher Kevin Blecha said in a news release.

Camera trap footage also indicated that prey is increasingly more abundant in residential areas as development spreads into the mountains, and lions are thus likely to have more success hunting near homes. With the approach of spring, when prey is less plentiful, it’s a recipe for more human contacts with lions — and potentially more conflict.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Mark Porras said he couldn’t comment on the study directly because he hadn’t read it yet. But based on the observations of wildlife officers, he said its conclusions sounded plausible.

“We have seen that if a lion finds a steady source of food, via pets or mule deer, it would not be out of the ordinary for it to take up residence in a neighborhood,” he said. “Lions are looking for four-legged prey. They’re not typically after people, but being large powerful predators, close proximity to people can certainly lead to significant conflict.”

There have been several mountain lion sightings near Vail in recent weeks, but no reported attacks. Wildlife officials suspect that recent snowfall had pushed mule deer to lower elevations. When that happens, lions are rarely far behind.

While people should never feed wildlife, Porras said, it’s especially important if there are predators in the area; if prey gets comfortable in one spot, the animals that hunt them will, too.

“Lions are mainly looking for deer, but they also hunt smaller animals like skunks and porcupines,” he said. “They don’t distinguish between those kinds of animals and your pet. So if you live in lion country keep an eye on your pets, secure your pets, bring them indoors, keep them on a leash.”