Mountain Lion Killed After Reportedly Attacking Police Officer And Resident In Loveland, Colorado

Colorado authorities said Thursday a state game warden had tracked and killed a mountain lion after one reportedly attacked a local deputy and Loveland, Colorado, resident.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said it had been called about a reported mountain lion attack near Loveland around 2 p.m. Deputies were aided by game wardens from Colorado Parks & Wildlife sent to help track the animal after it left the area. Officers reportedly tracked the mountain lion to a local trailer park when it attacked one of the deputies.

One witness said it bit the deputy on the shoulder before the officers fought it off.

“Her sleeve was off and wrapped up,” one witness told Denver NBC-affiliate, KUSA. “I talked to her. She was OK, pretty shaken up.”

The mountain lion was reportedly put down after it was fought off the officer and put down by one of the game wardens. Its body was reportedly taken to a Colorado Parks & Wildlife health lab in Fort Collins for examination. The deputy and resident attacked were treated at local hospitals for their respective wounds, but are expected to make full recoveries.

State officials said this was likely an isolated incident.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife echoed those statements, saying that mountain lion attacks are rare across the state.

The last reported attack was in August 2019 when an 8-year-old boy was attacked by his home in Bailey, Colorado. He survived that attack and was treated for his wounds while authorities tracked the animal.

Two mountain lions were found outside of Bailey and officials said they suspected one was responsible for the attack before both were euthanized.