A string of mountain lion attacks on dogs in the Nederland area has left many community members concerned about the safety of their pets.
Nederland resident Peter James said the community has lost around 12 to 15 dogs to lion attacks in the past six months. Most of the attacks are logged on a wildlife tracker James said was created by a local designer.
“It’s gotten sort of out of hand and it needs to be addressed,” he said. “It kind of feels like, is the community responsible for maintaining this kind of safety?”
On Monday, a woman in Rollinsville shared in a Nederland Facebook group that she watched her Australian Shepherd get snatched off her porch by a mountain lion. James said group members have also posted about attacks on a Doberman and a Great Pyrenees.
Three weeks ago, James said around 50 people attended a Colorado Parks and Wildlife lecture on mountain lion safety at the Nederland Community Center, with over 70 tuning in remotely. Some residents, he said, are even concerned about kids becoming targets.
“This lion is now coming up on decks, taking dogs that are 100 pounds, and we’re worried about a little kid who weighs maybe 40 pounds,” he said.
Kristin Cannon, deputy regional manager for CPW, said this type of mountain lion behavior tends to happen in the area every three to five years.
“A lion will prey on a couple of dogs, get easy targets … and we have a cluster of a lot of pets being killed in one area,” she said. “It’s not unusual, but it’s not a regular thing by any means.”
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