Good Question

Experts: Risk Of Mountain Lion Attacks Low

Good Question: What Are The Risks Of A Mountain Lion Attack

DENVER (CBS4) ― Mountain lion attacks and encounters with people often make news headlines, but the Colorado Division of Wildlife said the risks of actually seeing and getting attacked are pretty low.

Experts said that's why little is understood about why the mountain lions turn on humans.

"In a few instances, there have been cases when the animal has attacked because it's injured or it was a young animal that didn't possibly know how to hunt properly, but we don't really have hard data to point to," said Jennifer Churchill, a DOW spokeswoman.

The agency is in a several year study to find out when mountain lions are around people. They've put GPS tracking collars on some of the animals along the Front Range.

"It's a good thing, they don't seem very interested in us," said Churchill.

There are an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 mountain lions in Colorado and they are constantly near people.

"When people are out, a couple of feet, 40 feet, 30 feet from you," Churchill said.

Mountain lions do have a range of up to 350 square miles. That's half the size of the metro area.

"They're efficient at killing the prey they know, deer and elk," said Churchill. "They are very good at killing in that instance. If you are a person, you have different tools at your disposal."

She said to yell and step away. Increasing the distance between a mountain lion and person increase the chances of avoiding an attack.

"And when you start doing that, then the fear comes away from the mountain lion," Churchill said. "Not so much from you, but from the mountain lion."

She also suggested that if adults are with children, put the younger ones on the adults' shoulders. That makes a person look bigger and less approachable.

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