Seven mountain lions sighted in Gallina Canyon

Robert Remiger, who lives near a Forest Service boundary in Gallina Canyon, said he is used

to sighting bears on his property. One time a bear managed to make its way into Remiger’s

home. However, in a rare instance on Jan. 10 he spotted mountain

lion snow prints on his property with his wife.

Soon after spotting the tracks, an outfitter on a snowmobile approached Remiger and said

that he had sighted seven lions all together: a male, two females and four cubs. Remiger was mostly concerned about the

horses he has on his property but did some research and found that lions attacking horses is fairly rare. Ultimately, he alerted his neighborhood association and

said there were active mountain lions in the area.

These elusive predators tend to avoid wide open spaces and prefer forested areas. Their elusive nature makes it difficult to get an accurate count. In New Mexico, the Department of Game and Fish estimates there are between 3,000 to 4,000 mountain lions in the state.

Though encounters with mountain lions are rare and reports of these animals attacking

humans are often rarer — they can happen. For example, in 2008 a Pinos Altos man was attacked and killed by a mountain lion. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

urges people to be cautious and alert in areas they might inhabit.

In general, however, mountain lions face a greater threat

from humans than the other way around.

For example, the game and fish department estimates that a total of 331 mountain lions were killed by hunters between 2020 and 2021, with over a hundred lions killed in sport harvest.

“I think these larger predators, they get a bad rap,” said Hilary DeVries, a wildlife rehabilitation manager with New Mexico Wildlife Center, a nonprofit organization.

DeVries added that mountain lions have home territories that can span many miles. Usually,

she said that when they’re spotted either on properties or on

hiking trails they’re just “passing through.”

“But keep your dogs on a leash when you’re out walking them. Make sure they’re not going to run up to and try and attack it or make it angry,” said DeVries.

Mountain lions are carnivorous; their diets include deer, elk and smaller prey like rabbits. The game and fish department

says that mountain lions feeding on a food cache is extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.

The national advocacy group the Mountain Lion Foundation

states that they can run at speeds of 50 mph and leap 15 feet up a tree. During an encounter, the

foundation advises people not run but instead to stand tall and maintain eye contact and to

slowly wave your arms and speak firmly (also to throw items at the animal if necessary).

DeVries said to notify Game and Fish if mountain lions are on your property or in the vicinity

where you live.

FILE PHOTO A male and two female mountain lions and four cubs were recently sighted near Gallina Canyon. The New Mexico Department of Game & Fish urges the public to report sightings around homes and to exercise caution in areas mountain lions might inhabit.