A trail camera recently caught an incredible action shot displaying the strength, power and grace of one of Colorado's biggest predators, a mountain lion. The only thing I could think of (other than how terrifying this is) was how awesome it would be to have that kind of leaping ability and speed. I'd probably be playing in the NFL or NBA.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, mountain lions can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, jump as high as 20 feet and as far as about 20 feet as well. (So, yeah...having one of these suckers tracking you down in the wilderness would suck.)

YouTube/ Colorado Parks & Wildlife

We've heard so many stories and heard about countless numbers of mountain lion encounters over the past few years, (especially this past year) and as we continue to build and develop into their territory, we can expect that pattern to continue.

Even with all of these encounters that we've been hearing about, mountain lion encounters are pretty rare overall, and attacks or deaths from mountain lions are even rarer.

From 1890-2017, there have been 125 attacks and 27 deaths related to mountain lion attacks in the United States.

If you ever encounter a mountain lion—well, I could tell you what to do, but it might mean a little more coming from an expert...

 

UP NEXT: 10 Wild Animal Encounters in Northern Colorado in 2020

More From Mix 104.3