Mountain lions spotted in Gypsum neighborhood
Local Emily Bonfoey sent in this video of two mountain lions walking around a Gypsum neighborhood at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. “CPW and police were notified,” she said, adding that families in River View and Gypsum should know to watch kids and pets.
“Much of Colorado, including the Front Range, is prime mountain lion country,” the Colorado Parks & Wildlife department says on its website. “This simple fact is a surprise to many residents and visitors. These large, powerful predators have always lived here, preying on plentiful deer and playing an important role in the ecosystem.”
CPW estimates mountain lion territory ranges from 10 to 370 square miles, with the number of mountain lions in the state ranging from 3,000 to 7,000.
A study out of Wyoming theorizes that wolf populations drive down mountain lion populations. The reintroduction of gray wolves to Colorado was approved by voters in November.
