Colorado Man Kills Mountain Lion With Shovel

A man killed a mountain lion with a shovel at a campground in Fremont County, Colorado, last month, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

9 News reports that after being called to a campground west of Cañon City on Saturday, Sept. 26, a CPW officer found a man with the body of the lion on the hood of his Jeep.

According to a CWP news release, the man told the officer he had killed the mountain lion the night before, after it approached him and his dog while they were outside their recreational vehicle.

The man said as the cat approached, his husky growled and barked. When it got to within 10 feet, he said the dog engaged the lion. At that point, the man said he picked up a shovel and hit the lion on the head, killing it.

The female mountain lion weighed around 95 pounds, had an injury to its right front paw and scratches on its back, according to wildlife officials. The lion's body was sent off for a necropsy.

CPW said some of the lion’s injuries are not consistent with the man's story and is investigating the incident. CPW also said this incident is not considered an attack since the man didn’t suffer injuries and the lion did not touch him.

Wildlife officials say there have been 25 mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado since 1990.