Mountain lion kills dog in downtown

A mountain lion has killed another dog in Grand County — this time in downtown Granby off of Main Street. The attack occurred at about 8 p.m. on Saturday at the home of Teresa Hertel.

Hertel stated in a Facebook post on Sunday that her dog Maddie was on the home’s enclosed desk outside, with access to a doggy door. When Hertel heard a loud bang on the deck, she went outside immediately to investigate. The dog was gone, but there were “cat like tracks” in the snow, Hertel wrote.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife was notified on Sunday; upon investigation, a wildlife officer determined a mountain lion had taken the dog.

“There was a small gate on the porch to prevent the dog from going off the porch and that was the source of the loud noise,” said Rachael Gonzales, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “The wildlife officer did notice tracks.”

Officers were not sure the gender of the lion; it could have been a small, younger male or a female.

Gonzales added that there have been frequent sightings in the Grand County area over the past seven days, including Grand Lake, outside of Tabernash, and now Granby. There was also an unconfirmed sighting in February in Kremmling. However, no Kremmling sightings have been called into Parks and Wildlife since a mountain lion was seen attacking cats in Old Park in January.

“We’ve gotten video confirmation of lions in the area,” Gonzales said, emphasizing that every sighting should be called in immediately.

“If you see a mountain lion, please let us know. The sooner we know about a lion in the area, the sooner we can go out and track … and see behavior,” she said. “If you see a dead carcass in your yard, like a deer, let us know.”

A dead carcass can attract lions to the area. Gonzales added that the best way to keep mountain lions away from pets and property is to stay vigilant, hazing lions away when necessary. Lastly, she stated residents should remain extra cautious and follow all of Parks and Wildlife’s safety recommendations, which on the Parks and Wildlife website.