Boulder cracks down on cougars after incidents

BOULDER» Wildlife officials are trying to track down one or more mountain lions that have recently been spotted in Boulder, including one that broke into a home last week.

On Thursday, a mountain lion got into a house in the 400 block of Marine Street and was trapped inside the home for more than an hour. It was scared out the front door by police and wildlife officers, but not before it had killed a house cat inside.

Even before that incident, wildlife officers had been getting reports of other cougar sightings within city limits.

Kristin Cannon, a Colorado Parks & Wildlife district wildlife manager, said there were lion sightings last weekend at Edgewood Drive and Folsom Street and on Spruce Street near Settler’s Park.

“Even before the one in the house, we’ve been having some lion activity all over town,” Cannon said. “Based on the reports, it is probably two different lions.”

Cannon said Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are now hoping to capture the one or two lions in the city.

“The lion in the house is pretty unusual and pretty concerning,” Cannon said. “But in general, we try not to let lions spend a lot of time in town. Whether we relocate it or put it down depends on where it is and if we expect it is the same lion.”

Cannon said residents should lock their lower windows and doors, though she said that rule should apply more to keeping bears and other humans out than mountain lions.