A man in Colorado made headlines after he used a shovel to kill a mountain lion, claiming it was to protect his dog. The incident occurred in Cañon City on September 26, when the man reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife that he had killed an aggressive mountain lion with a shovel. Authorities found the man with the 95lb female lion on the hood of his Jeep.
According to the man’s account, he was with his husky dog near his car when the mountain lion approached. The husky growled and then lunged at the lion. In an attempt to protect his dog, the man grabbed a shovel and struck the lion in the head until it died. Upon inspection, the lion was found to have injuries on its front right paw and scratches along its back.
In Colorado, it is illegal to kill a lion outside of regulated hunting, except in cases where it is necessary to protect humans or livestock from harm. While this incident did not meet the criteria for a lion attack as the lion did not harm the man, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer noted that the man acted in self-defence as the lion displayed aggressive behaviour.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency is conducting further investigations and has sent the lion’s body for a necropsy to determine more details about the incident. Cañon City, where the encounter took place, is a home rule municipality with approximately 17,000 residents in central Colorado. Estimates suggest there are between 20,000 and 40,000 mountain lions in the US.
As the story continues to unfold, the man’s actions to protect his dog from the aggressive mountain lion have sparked a debate about wildlife encounters and self-defence laws in Colorado. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.