Colorado Firefighters Surprised by Unwelcomed Mountain Lion Visit
Firefighters see and deal with a lot of different scenarios while on duty day-to-day, but what some of the crew witnessed at Station 7 in Loveland this week would have anyone shaking in their boots.
When personnel arrived at the building on Monday morning, they were alarmed to find a mountain lion had wandered into the station. The firefighters kept their distance from the big cat by staying safely away, high up on a deck on the station's second floor.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were called to the scene to assist with the animal. They were successfully able to coax the mountain lion away from the station, and it proceeded to head west back up a nearby mountain. Fortunately, the wild cat did not get close to any neighboring homes or Big Thompson Elementary School, which is right up the road.
Station 7 is located on North Co Road 27. According to LFRA, the station is within the wildland-urban interface area of their response area, so it's not uncommon for wildlife to roam around nearby.
According to CPW, mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. Should an encounter occur, it's best to remain calm and give the cat away to escape while avoiding confrontation. For more tips on coexisting with these wild animals in Colorado, visit https://cpw.state.co.us/lions.